A/N: WOW! I got NINETY-ONE reviews (at last count) for chapter 15. That's more than any single chapter for ANY story I've written before. I'm really flattered. I worked especially hard on this chapter for you guys because of that! It made the wait a bit longer, but you guys actually made me think of some things that even I hadn't. Thanks so much. I hope you like the new chapter.
Thousandfurs
Chapter 16: Most Beloved
The king did not sit still for long. After a moment, the buzz of gossip reached his sensitive ears and he stood again. "Everyone, quiet!" he thundered. The thrum of voices stopped immediately. He passed a hand over his face and stepped off the dais to look at Kagome. "Something must be done to remedy this."
"Your Majesty?" asked Kagome, her eyes widening. Inuyasha still had her by the wrist and his only hand was still wrapped around the necklace at her throat. She was utterly vulnerable if the king decided to drag her away to the dungeons. Not that she could stand against a youkai anyway, even if she was at liberty.
He snapped his fingers and muttered something to a servant, who dashed off immediately. Circling his son and Kagome, he sighed. "Perhaps you should start from the beginning," he said. "I promised the same luxury to Kagura after all." He turned and sat back down on the throne. "Inuyasha, let the girl go. She can't exactly dodge our questions now."
No one in the hall was sleepy now. They crowded together and forward, trying to be as close to the soft-spoken girl as possible. Kagome felt their eyes on her back and instinctively moved closer to Inuyasha, but the prince dropped his hold on her and returned to his place beside his mother, moving slowly. He stared at her with great golden eyes as she felt the absence of his warmth. Emotions were flickering over his expression too fast to read.
The servant finally returned and the king gestured to the basin that he carried. "Wash your skin. I would like to see your face as we speak."
Kagome flipped back her hood and obediently washed her arms and face clean of the soot, painfully conscious of the large group of youkai watching her every move. When she was done, they began to murmur about her beauty and a few mentioned her passing resemblance to Kikyo. When she unfastened her cloak, however, all whispers died.
She was glorious. More so than when they had first seen her, earlier in the night. Still adorned in her kimono of diamonds, she glowed, but her hair was undone and she had a glitter of resolve in her eye that endeared her to many of the demons present. She was wild, they pronounced, when their voices returned to them. Royalty, of course, but also coarse and unapologetic in her splendor. Such unbridled beauty was greatly admired among youkai. Comparisons to the Princess Kikyo – who stood in the corner with a nasty snarl on her face – ceased entirely.
Inuyasha's heart stopped. He held onto the back of his mother's chair for support. "Who are you?" he finally choked out.
She took a deep breath. "I am Kagome, formerly the Princess of Nakao kingdom. I ran away when my father tried to make me his wife and bedmate, because that was a sin against Nature and he would not listen to reason. I came here, with the diplomat Myoga to assist me."
The flea bounced up the dais at this introduction and bowed. "Your Majesties, Your Highness, I was the one who suggested that the princess come to this kingdom. If there is any blame for the decision to burden you with her presence, it would be mine."
"You are the diplomat that accepted the position in Nakao when no one else would?" asked the king.
Myoga shifted uncomfortably. "Well, yes, Your Majesty."
"You saved this girl from a terrible fate and risked your own life," he said. "I don't think that any blame could be placed on you. Or your lovely princess."
Izayoi cleared her throat. "I understand why you felt the need to hide, my dear girl," she said. "But why did you then risk exposure by attending our feasts? You dressed extravagantly and danced with my son. All of this attracted considerable attention."
Kagome lowered her eyes. "You must understand, my queen, that attracting attention was far from my mind. At first, I only thought of regaining a piece of myself. I am no longer a princess after all. My father stripped me of that title long ago, but I still have royal blood, because he cannot take that from me. I yearned for my old society and so I came to the first dance looking for my past. Afterwards," she paused and looked up at the queen. "Afterwards, I came to see your son."
"Why didn't you tell me?" snapped the prince suddenly. "I could have protected you!"
She sent a cold glare towards her would-be savior. "Could you?" she asked. "Can you even now? I have heard about the spy caught in the gardens. Seeing Naraku here confirms it, because I know that he had figured out my secret and was going to expose me. My father knows where I am now, and if he doesn't, your father will be honor-bound to tell him. You can't stop them from taking me back there."
"I can and I will," he replied.
"Inuyasha," warned the king. "Be silent and let the girl finish her tale."
"There is not much more to it, Your Majesty," said the princess. "When I realized that the prince was seeking his mate, I came to bid him goodbye. I could not be discovered, and yet now I am anyway."
"Do you know what your father will do to you if you return to Nakao?" the king asked, silencing Inuyasha's wordless protest again with a sharp look.
Kagome nodded. "I imagine one of two possibilities. He will either execute me for treason, or he will marry me and force me to his bed anyway. Either way, I die because I will take my own life in the latter possibility."
"And Myoga?"
"I will be executed summarily," replied the flea. "You know the law, Your Majesty. I may be a diplomat but I am certainly guilty of treason against the king and that is the one thing for which I can be punished without a special tribunal being called."
The king stood up and paced to the edge of the dais to look at Naraku and Kagura. "This is a weighty decision," he said. "If I protect you, I risk war. If I let you go, you will both die and my son will be without a mate."
"I will fight for her," said Inuyasha, his eyes blazing.
"And I will not have you do that," returned the princess immediately, drawing the surprised glances of the entire royal family. "Your Majesty, I must choose death."
The king's eyebrow raised and he looked out across the expansive crowd huddled in the great hall. "Forgive me, but I must dismiss all of you," he said. "These are matters of state and not just my son's mate. We will make a final announcement in the morning. Good night."
"No," snapped a familiar voice, halting the groans of disappointment. The princess looked around to see Koga emerge from the crowd. The wolf prince smiled cockily at her and bowed. "The Taisho kingdom may not be willing to go to war for you, Kagome-sama, but my wolves will! We'll rip the hearts out of any human who dares to try taking you away from me!"
Kagome gazed at him, aghast at his suggestion. "I'm not letting you hurt an army of my countrymen, Koga! They would only be following my father's orders! It's not fair to them. I won't have kingdoms ripped part on my behalf."
The wolf blinked, his tail twitching. "But… I'm willing to show you my kingdom's worth, Kagome," argued Koga, thrown by her refusal. "You'll be a wonderful mate. Through this battle, we will rise to eminence!"
"I don't care about that!" sputtered the princess. "I care about the lives that you're so willing to throw away!"
Koga was at a loss. "I want to give you everything…" he said, a frown creasing his features. "Think about it. You don't have a father anymore, but my pack can become your new family! We defend our pack members and we would never dare to do anything so hideous as your father has done."
"That's a nice sentiment, Koga," murmured Kagome, "but you've already proven yourself capable of doing hideous acts. Or do you not remember how you threatened me, hurt me and shamed me the night we first met, when I was just a simple servant?"
The wolf had the grace to look embarrassed as Inuyasha bristled. "What? You hurt her? You worthless little slime!"
"Like you treated her any better, dog-shit! Everyone in the castle knows what you did to her!" snapped the wolf prince, similarly cowing the hanyou. He looked back at Kagome. "I'll make it up to you, Kagome."
"There's nowhere to go but up after that sort of behavior," said the princess. "But even when I wasn't a servant, you treated me as a possession, Koga. And I don't want to talk anymore about that. Please, the king ordered you – all of you – gone from this hall and I think it's time that you listen. Go and find a suitable mate, Koga. Find one of your own kind who will be adoring and obedient and will find your vicious protectiveness endearing. I'm not that girl."
Koga colored again as he turned to leave and the Taisho king stood to watch the brazen wolf. "The princess is right. What has happened that all of you have learned to ignore the orders of a monarch in his own kingdom?" he said softly, his eyes flashing with sincerity. "I have a choice to make and you will not hear another word until the morning."
The entire assembly grumbled its disappointment. They wanted to see this lovely little human girl fight with the stubborn prince – both of them. She had just chosen death and Inuyasha was clearly adamant against it. It was quite a question that was before the king. It wasn't just a matter of his son's mate anymore, but his kingdom's safety. Once, long ago, he had gone to war over a princess. Would he again? He wasn't as young and foolhardy as he had been back in those days. Many of the older youkai in the crowd shook their heads with the memories of their brash, younger king of yesteryear. They had lost many fine young demons in that war. Most agreed that it had been largely worth it. Not for the sake of obtaining a human queen – although most adored her for her even-tempered nature beside the hot head of the king – but for the sake of finally teaching the humans where their place was in the order of the world. It seemed to many of them that the humans hadn't quite learned their lesson.
"I petition that I may remain, Your Majesty," said Miroku quickly.
"And me!" chirped Shippo, appearing from out of the crowd.
"I, as well, would like to stay, Your Majesty," said Sango.
Kagome turned sharply at this familiar voice and saw the taijiya draped in a beautiful pink kimono. It was the same woman who she had seen earlier in the evening, but she had not recognized her then. "Sango?"
"Good evening, Your Highness," greeted the former servant, bowing deeply.
"Miroku has chosen Sango to be his wife and mate," said the king, as the crowds begrudgingly filed out. He noted silently that Kikyo was reluctantly leaving, sending seething glares back over her shoulder. "She will become a Lady soon enough and I have decided that she will command some of my troops. Her demon slaying skills are formidable, after all, and even youkai have the need to slay other youkai at times. She will be quite useful. It's a pity she escaped my notice for so long. You are acquainted then?"
Kagome smiled at her friend, feeling happy for the first time in ages as she watched Miroku hold her close. "She is one of my dearest companions," she said.
"Then she may stay. Yes, you as well, Shippo." The king looked at Naraku and Kagura. "Your story has much to do with the princess, I would imagine?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Kagura.
The king nodded. "Then I will consider Kagome-sama's situation as you tell me about yours," he said. He looked up to see the doors closing behind the last of the guests. "Begin."
Kagura closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her strength. They were clear and steady when she opened them again. "I was caught on the wrong side of the last war, between the humans and the demons, the one fought over Queen Izayoi," she began, bowing to the queen as she mentioned her name. "I was a vagrant, I had no money to speak of and all that I could get went to the care of my sister, Kanna, and our provisions. When war broke out, the humans demanded that I help or be caged. I chose to help them, but afterwards, I think I would rather have died in a prison cell.
"I went to the border and I fought, but without heart." She paused and looked at the king. "I could have done worse, Your Majesty. I can raise the dead to be my puppets, but I never even drew my fan. I fought as humans do, with a katana and dagger."
"Do not try to ingratiate yourself to me, Kagura," said the king, his eyes narrowing. "You fought with the humans against your own kind. Continue your story and I will judge for myself – without your superfluous descriptions – that you do not deserve to be condemned for such an act. Now continue."
The wind witch shuddered visibly. "Yes, Your Majesty," she replied, taking a moment to compose herself. "In one of the last battles between the kingdoms, I was injured by a stray arrow. It wasn't a mortal wound, if anyone had cared to assist me, but they hadn't and so I was soon dying of blood loss. I couldn't move and even worse, I was in demon territory bearing the marks of the human army. Naraku was the one who found me. He said that there were youkai scouts coming my way and I had a choice – I could be caught and likely executed for treason, or he could heal me and hide me until the danger had passed. Of course, I took the second option. After he had taken me to a more secure location and bound my wounds, he revealed the twist to his philanthropy. He demanded that I bind myself to him, by blood and heart, or he would reveal me as a traitor. More than that, he would find my sister and turn her in as well."
"You could have escaped," said Izayoi.
The king shook his head. "Blood ties. They are rare these days, my mate. In fact, I haven't heard of one done by a civilized youkai for centuries. It's the darkest of magic and binds a subservient heart to a master. If the inferior creature strays far without permission or harms the master, it would be fatal."
Kagome looked at her friend with wide eyes. This was the reason for her undeserved attention to Naraku? She slept with him to save her life and her sister's, allowed herself to be beaten by him. Kagome could see that Kagura would have murdered the cook in his sleep long ago, if it hadn't been for the threat of death.
But the wind witch was not done. "Naraku came here, with me and my sister in tow, of course. He would not release me, despite all I did to displease him. As you know, Your Majesty, we have been here for many years. At first, I only noticed Naraku's occasional odd behavior, but then, things got complicated. One day, he put me in front of a ledger of the kitchen accounts and told me to fix it. I realized that he had been stealing money from you, Your Majesty, and concealing it by keeping two sets of ledgers. Unfortunately for him, as manipulative and cruel as he is, Naraku doesn't have much of a head for numbers and he had gotten in over his head. He turned over the accounts to me, telling me that if I ever said a word, he would kill Kanna in her bed. He never told me what he did with the money, because I never saw any of it. He didn't buy jewels or fine clothes and he certainly did not keep much besides his normal wages in his room. I was mystified as to where it was all going.
"By this time, I had gotten sick of the treatment he rained down on my head every day. The other servants noticed and were whispering about my bruises. I decided to turn the tables on Naraku and steal money from him. Forgive me, Your Majesty, because I know I was actually stealing from you through him, but I had to help myself! There are magic users in the city that will break a blood tie curse, but at a hefty price, due to the danger of it. I stole Naraku's money so that I could have the curse broken and that Kanna and I could afford to run away."
"Little slut," spat Naraku. "I knew you would deceive me!"
Kagura stared at her former master coldly. "Deceiving you was the greatest thing I have ever done because it weakened you that much more," she said, tossing her head in triumph. She turned back to the king and bowed. "I don't know much more than that, Your Majesty. I became aware of Kagome's true identity because Naraku somehow figured it out. I did not know about the spy and I still do not know where the money Naraku stole has gone."
"And the money you stole?" asked the king.
"In an iron box, underneath one of the floorboards in my room," she replied. "I will return it with all my heart if you would please have the blood tie between Naraku and me broken."
The monarch nodded and gestured to one of the guards standing by the witch. "Go and inquire at the shrine. The city dwellers may be able to break it for a price, but I would prefer a priest's work in this matter." He stood up and clasped his hands behind his back. "And what should I do with you after the curse is broken, Kagura? You have admitted to fighting in the aid of our enemies, stealing money from my coffers and concealing the truth about a hidden princess. Any of these alone could get you an appointment with the executioner."
Kagome stepped forward. "Please, Your Majesty, don't punish her. She may have done some awful things, but it was in defense of her life and that of her sister."
"So she says, my girl," he replied.
The princess frowned and tried again. "Yes, perhaps she is lying. But she was always kind to me, even when she didn't know who I really was. She tried to help me, even if I repeatedly spurned her assistance. She wanted what was best for me – for all of us in the kitchen, actually – and would stand up to Naraku on numerous occasions. I'm sure that she saved us from many beatings, more than we had had to suffer if she wasn't there."
Sango outstretched a hand. "It's true, Your Majesty. Naraku took every impatience and frustration out on Kagura's backside. I'm sure that had she not borne it, we would have suffered. I have never seen her raise a hand to anyone."
The king sighed. "I've always had a weakness for the opinions of human women," he said, making his mate smile. "Very well. Kagura, you shall be free of any charges that could be brought against you. In fact, you will be promoted to head chef of the royal kitchen, in place of Naraku. Be sure that you do not waste this opportunity. And I want the royal accountant to see these twin ledgers of yours."
Kagura felt a swell of joy in her breast and bowed. "Thank you, my king," she said graciously.
"Soft-hearted fools," hissed Naraku.
The king turned to look at his former cook. "The truth is that I would have been arresting you anyway," he told the shocked demon. "Sango has told me a great many things about your character that I have seemed to overlook for all these years. I am disappointed in myself, but I am thankful that my staff will not have to suffer under you for another day. Now, before I have you dragged off to my dungeons, do you care to complete Kagura's tale? Tell us what you have done with my money and how you knew that your scullery maid was actually a princess."
"You're going to kill me anyway," seethed the cook. "Why shouldn't I take my secrets to the grave?"
"Perhaps you will spare yourself pain in death. I could make your execution private and painless, or I could have you dragged through the streets and then beheaded in the public square." He paused as his mate gave a soft sound of alarm. "My queen does not approve of such barbarity and I do not wish to use such methods, but I will. I feel that if you do not complete your tale, the danger you have brought to my kingdom will still exist."
Naraku chuckled, a laugh of deep and abiding mental instability. "Even if I tell you everything, you will not be able to stop it. The wheels have already begun to turn. Everything is in place in the demon world. You cannot stop it!"
The king raised an eyebrow. "If I cannot stop it, you might as well tell me," he said, sitting down in his throne again. "To save you from the humiliation of a public execution, at the least."
"If you manage to get that far," said the cook, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Kagura, you know nothing then?" the king asked, sitting up straight in his chair.
The wind witch shook her head. "He would never have trusted me so much."
"I know his secrets."
The small, cold little voice came from the other side of the massive hall, but echoed clearly in their ears. Kanna stood by the doors, her thin, pale hands holding a mirror. She advanced slowly, her black eyes not moving from the face of her elder sister.
"You know what Naraku will not tell us?" asked the king, shifting his eyes to Kagura for a moment, his mouth creasing with doubt. "How?"
"I can see into the souls of men and youkai," said the girl, holding the mirror aloft. "It is my one skill in this world."
Kagura stared at her younger sister. "Kanna… how?"
"It is my gift. I do not know why this particular one was bestowed upon me."
The mirror flashed as she spoke and showed the image of Naraku, but it was distorted, almost beyond recognition. The blood red eyes and unruly mane of hair were the only features Kagome could distinguish. Otherwise, the chef was a mass of tentacles and long, multi-jointed legs. Several parts pulsed with demonic energy, blobs of indeterminate flesh and veins. Many of them recoiled from such a sight, but the king moved forward. "What is it?"
"Naraku's true self," answered Kanna, in her ethereal voice. "He is not demon but hanyou. A human named Onigumo wished to be immortal and gave his body to the demons, but Naraku yet possesses a human heart, although he has tried to escape it by giving himself a new name."
Kagome had never heard Kanna talk so much at one time. A glance at Kagura told her that the sister had never heard it either.
The mirror flashed again to show Naraku – looking as he always did – talking with a severe man with a robe of velvet. Kagome felt faint. "That's my father," she said softly. Shippo jumped up into her arms and hugged her. "Although he looks to be many years younger."
"Twenty-three years ago, shortly before he took the throne" said Kanna, as the two males in the image shook hands. "A contract between two twisted souls."
Another image sprang to the silver glass. Naraku was counting out money into the hands of a soldier bearing the marks of the Nakao palace guard. The image shifted to show Kagome's father, now older, receiving the money and allocating it towards weapons and new troops.
The king frowned at these visions. "If no one had noticed a large amount of money missing, this could not have been much help for Nakao," he said.
"Secrets were given in payment as well," whispered Kanna. "Secrets of defenses, roads and scouting missions. The last prize was that of the prince's night of weakness. It convinced Nakao that the time was right for an attack, after so many years of waiting."
Inuyasha made a soft noise of anger and glared at Naraku, but said nothing. The mirror had flashed again to show invading human troops, killing demons with the sheer force of superior numbers. They wore the colors of many human kingdoms, which Kagome knew to be her father's reluctant allies. Naraku was shown again, holding a dark orb in his hand as he surveyed the scenes of devastation. The king and his sons were dead at his feet, Izayoi was weeping in chains. The evil hanyou had taken the crown and placed it upon his own head.
"The future, if all continues as it is," Kanna murmured as the mirror's light faded.
Kagome stared at the chef who had tormented her for so long. "You were going to do all that so that you could become fully demon, weren't you?" she asked. "My father promised you the Shikon no Tama if you followed through with your half of the plan."
"And a healthy slice of the Taisho kingdom," sneered Naraku. "Eventually, I would have killed that coward you call 'father' and would have taken it all."
The princess kept her gaze steady. "He is not my father, not in spirit. I abhor the blood we share."
"Whatever he is to you, he is a fool. That vision of the future will come to pass," he hissed, lifting his chin in triumph. "I may be a hanyou, but I am more powerful than any demon you can imagine. I will make the castle red with all of your blood."
"Enough," snapped the monarch, glaring at his former employee. "I do not have the time or patience for your self-absorbed prattle, Naraku. I have listened to you for too long. You will not be so confident when you are trapped within the dungeon without sun or stars."
Naraku simply smirked.
The king sat back in his throne and considered the creatures before him. "Take the traitorous chef away," he said, nodding at Naraku. "Give him only bread and water. I hear it is no better than what he gave to my servants." The two guards laid their massive hands on the hanyou and dragged him away to be bound and thrown into a solitary cell.
"Now," said the king, standing up again, "we have the matter of the Princess Kagome to consider. Inuyasha, you have been unusually silent. What have you to say? She is the woman you intended to mate after all, but she was also your scullery maid."
"Should we not discuss these visions that Kanna has shown to us?" asked Izayoi, her eyes wide and her skin pale.
The king nodded once. "In time. Everything is inextricably linked in these matters, my mate." He looked at his son again. "Well, Inuyasha?"
The white haired prince looked at the princess with a sad eye and drooping ears. "I want to protect her," he said. "I still want her to be my mate."
"And the princess? What do you say to the proposal?" the monarch asked.
Kagome shook her head. "I will not allow it. I cannot be with your son. I told him so this evening and my decision hasn't changed."
Inuyasha stepped forward. "But I know who you are now! Why can't you let me protect you?"
"Kanna says that there is devastating future before you, if something does not change," said the princess, as she frowned at her love. "I will return to my father's land, tell him that Taisho is aware of his plans and attempt to dissuade him."
"You said he would likely execute you," the prince argued.
"And he might, but I must try to avert this disaster."
Inuyasha bristled. "You think that youkai are not willing to go to war? I hate that stupid wolf, but he's right. We will fight for you! We went to war once over a princess, we can do it again. Now that we know about your father's plan, we can stop it! We can prepare and battle well. You won't be in danger. You can stay here, in the palace." He stopped and lowered his eyes. "I will give my life for your protection," he murmured.
Kagome sighed and stepped forward, so that they were close enough to touch, if either would reach out to the other. "Think about what you're saying, Inuyasha-sama. You would gladly give your life, but I would not gladly risk it! Imagine my pain if I heard that you had died on the battlefield. I would be lost and heartbroken without you." She stretched her arm out and lifted his chin to meet his eyes.
His gaze glittered with her pronouncement. "But you die if you leave! I'll go through the same thing!"
"But at least it will not cause a war," she said. "I'm leaving because I care for not only you but for your kingdom. This is more of a home to me than Nakao ever was, even when my mother was alive. I must go."
"We have assassins," suggested the prince, grabbing her hand as she withdrew it.
Kagome sighed. "Do you think that I could allow you to murder my father? Even if I deny that he is my father anymore, he is still my homeland's rightful king. I will not be guilty of inciting regicide," she admonished. She nodded at the king, who was frowning deeply at his son's suggestion. "I see that your father would not do it anyway."
He was quickly becoming agitated. "So, we'll find another solution! You can't leave!"
"I have to. I'm done with running away from my problems. I have ran and ran and have only left terrible problems for those left behind. I can't do that anymore. I keep saying that I'm a princess, but I have hardly acted my part! I have been selfish and I have not considered how my actions affect the kingdoms around me," she replied, a deep frown creasing her forehead. "I have responsibilities, and this planned invasion simply makes my choice clear. It's not just my life on the line anymore, but the lives of so many youkai and humans of my own home. I could stay if it was just me, but for war? Never."
"I fought so hard to find you!" he snapped, moving away again. "I won't lose you again!"
Irritation boiled up in her chest. "Fought to find me?" she repeated. "You did nothing but badger a girl that you thought was a worthless scullery maid! Even if my father was your kingdom's dearest ally, I could not remain with you."
"Oh!" cried the prince. "Now we're getting to the real reason you want to go! Is your pride so absolute that you would rather enjoy death than be my mate after being my servant?"
"And is your pride so great that you will never admit that you did wrong?" retorted the princess. "Alright, I admit, my reason for leaving is not entirely selfless. I cannot forget my personal injuries. Your treatment of me as Thousandfurs was cruel and unnecessary. Leaving to save your kingdom is my ultimate reason for returning to my kingdom, but your behavior already had convinced me to never appear as your princess again! Koga wasn't just right about your willingness to fight, Inuyasha, he was right about how you had treated me. I don't want either of you! You hurt me. Intentionally!"
There was an echo of silence as the prince considered this, but he took up his mantle once again with determination. "The invasion would still come, even if you were not discovered," said Inuyasha. "Why does it matter what you wear – kimono or furs – while the situation is dealt with?"
Kagome stamped her foot. "You don't get it! It's now in my own power to change this outcome," she said, pointing to Kanna's mirror. "And nothing changes the fact that you were cruel to me. You don't even know the Princess of Nakao and you are willing to die for her? How quickly you would be disillusioned upon your return from battle!"
"If I did anything cruel to you, it was because you were being difficult and stubborn and you were my servant," he snapped.
"I was being difficult and stubborn because some jackass who thought that he could any way he wished simply because he was royalty, decided to harass me constantly! You're exactly like the wolf prince!"
Inuyasha was stunned into silence again, but he decided to ignore the personal barb of the comparison to his enemy. "Well, maybe if you had told me anything, I wouldn't have harassed you!"
"You should not have felt that you had the right to do so towards me," she countered, poking him in the chest. "No one deserves such treatment, especially not servants who only work for your pleasure and comfort! I may have been your inferior in social status, but Thousandfurs was still a living creature and deserved the respect that goes with that!"
"Good point," murmured Miroku.
Inuyasha's ears swiveled towards the diplomat. "Shut up, pervert!" he snapped.
"See?" asked Kagome incredulously. "You can't even treat your dearest friend with respect. Why should I have any inclination to become your mate when you have shown no desire to be in a peaceable relationship? And, for your information, Thousandfurs is a better approximation of my true temperament than is the docile princess you danced with!"
"Well, maybe that's fine with me, ever think of that?" he questioned.
Kagome closed her eyes and turned her head away, the color returning to her cheeks. "You hated me," she whispered. It seemed to echo just as much as their yelling had. "Don't deny it."
Inuyasha fell quiet, his eyes falling to the ground once again. Miroku cleared his throat. "If he won't deny it, I will. Kagome-sama, I believe that the prince identified with you more than anyone in the castle. In a way, he adored you as someone of his own race of outcasts. If he treated you poorly, I think it was only because he did not want a reminder of his place in such a group as that."
The princess smiled softly at the diplomat. "Thank you. I hear your words and take them to heart, but my decision remains. Whatever his reasons might have been, Inuyasha-sama was cruel to me. He hurt my heart and, on one occasion, my flesh. You say he adores me, but I only have seen the adoration he holds for his mysterious dancing partner, not for the true person I am. I am leaving as a princess to try to save this kingdom. I am leaving as Kagome to save the prince from a match that he will surely regret, once he realizes his mistake. He wants to take his phantom and yet he will end up with flesh and blood that will disappoint."
"That is my decision," growled the prince.
"And also mine," said Kagome, looking at him. "And I choose to leave."
The king stood up. "If that is your decision, Princess Kagome, we will abide by it." He nodded to himself. "I think that it may be best. If Naraku has been giving away our secrets, we may not have the upper hand in any battle with the humans."
"Father!" injected Inuyasha.
The prince received a deadly glare. "We will, however, miss you deeply," continued the sovereign. "I wish that you could have been my daughter, or as near to it as possible. You have the spirit that Inuyasha would need in a mate. But I must agree that his actions towards you deserve deep consideration. I am sorry that the final choice is not favorable."
Kagome bowed deeply. "As am I, Your Majesty," she replied softly.
Inuyasha suddenly turned and stomped towards the back door of the throne room, wrenching it open and leaving. For a few moments, they could hear his muttered swears as he moved down the hallway and then it was quiet once again. The king and queen sighed in tandem, their shoulders slumping. Sesshoumaru simply shook his head, his snowy locks trembling as he regretted having such a hasty, hot-tempered brother.
Izayoi stood up and stepped off the dais to take the princess in a tight embrace. "My mate wishes to call you 'daughter' but I call you 'daughter' even now. If your father regains his faculties and allows your freedom, please remember to come to see your home here. You will always be welcome to stay with us, my dear."
"Thank you, my queen," Kagome murmured, returning the embrace.
Izayoi pulled away with tear-filled eyes, retreating to her mate's side. "You will leave soon then?" asked the king.
"As soon as I can," the princess replied, trying not to look towards where Inuyasha had exited.
"You need some suitable traveling clothes, a litter and attendants to take you back," observed the king. "All will be provided for you by midday tomorrow."
Kagome bowed. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
"And I will have Inuyasha return the three treasures you gave him, of course," said Izayoi.
"No, thank you, Izayoi-sama," said the princess, shaking her head firmly. "They were gifts and they remain gifts."
The queen's eyes widened. "But they must be royal treasures!"
Kagome nodded. "They are, but I am the keeper of the Artifacts and I choose to leave them in a kingdom where they will be cared for properly. The arrowhead pierced the heart of a hanyou once and Inuyasha-sama told me that the sword hilt was from Tetsusaiga, your famed blade. So you can see that both of those items would be far better suited in your kingdom, where they will be respected. As for the Shikon no Tama, now that it is complete, I don't believe I can protect it anymore. Truthfully, it needed no protection before, but if you put the pieces together again, it may be restored to its former power and I have no way of shielding it against avaricious youkai."
"Thank you," said the king, stepping up to her. "We will protect the Shikon no Tama carefully, use the Fang judiciously and revere the gilt Arrowhead as the sacred weapon of times long past."
"I would like Inuyasha-sama to have the opportunity to use the jewel for his own purposes, if he wishes it," said the princess.
The royal family looked at one another. "For what reason does my son need the Shikon? He wanted it once, I know, but now?"
"I believe he may yet love Kikyo," Kagome replied. "I did not bring it up when he was still here, for I think it would embarrass him if I remembered it, but the memory is burned into my heart. There is no way I cannot remember. He wants to become fully human and marry Kikyo. He told me that it had once been his greatest desire and, now that I have spurned him, I think that the opportunity must be given to him once again."
"Is this the true reason you rejected him?" asked Izayoi.
Kagome frowned. "I simply want his happiness. I know that the idea of him turning completely human may be alien to you, but if it is truly his wish, I hope that you would consider giving him the choice."
"I do not like it," said the king, shaking his head. "My son was born a hanyou and a hanyou he should remain, if he would simply listen to Nature. I think it is equally unwise to use the Shikon as the vehicle for this desire to become human, if what the stories say are true about its ability to become tainted. I will think on it carefully. I hope, my girl, that you are incorrect and that he long ago abandoned that quest. But I will think on it."
"That is all I ask, King…" She broke off and looked at him with a sad sort of smile. "I do not know your given name. It seems ridiculous that I do not know it, after all that has happened, much of it in the past hour or so."
The monarch chuckled and matched her smile. "Toga. That is my name. Use it freely, my girl."
Kagome bowed again. "Yes, Toga-sama." She suppressed a yawn. It was far past midnight. Shippo had fallen asleep by her feet and even Sango was leaning heavily against Miroku's shoulder.
"Perhaps we should retire for the night," observed Toga. "Kagura, would you be so good as to fetch Princess Kagome's things from her room in the servants' hall? She will be sleeping in a room more fit to her true station."
"Yes, Your Majesty." She bowed and took off to Kagome's former cupboard.
"I do hope you're right about her," said the king, approaching the princess as he watched Kagura retreat.
Kagome nodded. "I am, Toga-sama."
"And I hope you are incorrect about my son's cruelty. One day he will be king."
The princess lowered her head. "One day, yes." She looked up at Toga, but his golden eyes held no deceit. "I know he has had a difficult life, even if it is one of privilege. I think that his disappointments have made him bitter, and I hope that I'm not contributing to that, although I fear that I am. But he does have a good heart, and I don't think you need to be anxious for your kingdom. He just needs… well, I'm not sure what he needs. He'll find it though. He's certainly determined enough."
"He believes that he needs you, Kagome," said the monarch, frowning slightly.
"Maybe now, he thinks that, but I doubt I would do anything but aggravate his temper on a daily basis," replied the princess with a sorrowful smile. "I stand by my words, Your Majesty. He would be sorely disappointed with the princess he ended up with if he chose me. He still expects his mysterious dancing partner, but he would get a real person. He needs a better mate than I could provide."
Toga sighed. "You love my son though."
Kagome paused, surprised at his candor. "More than anything, I love him," she finally said.
"Perhaps then, he is not the only one who has judged the other too quickly." He watched her carefully as she tried to formulate a reply to his observation. "But I speak too freely when I am tired. Allow me to get you an attendant to escort you to your quarters," he said evenly, bowing to her with a little bend of his spine before leaving to summon his staff.
A few minutes later, everyone had bid each other goodnight and a servant was leading the princess to her room. It was down the hall from the queen's chamber and more sumptuous than her room had been in Nakao. Its hangings and cushions were all a deep plum color, making it seem as if one could just sink into the room. Even Inuyasha's room had been more sparsely furnished "But then," she said softly to herself, "he is a male and he would certainly choose to have less clutter."
She sat down heavily on the futon as she thought of him, as if everything preceding that moment had been an unconscious reaction and only now did she realize what had happened in the throne room. She had turned down Inuyasha twice in one night, she recognized, although her heart had been calling out for another choice. The king had even seen that indecision.
"It was wise, though," she said, once again speaking aloud. "He would never have loved me more than a few weeks. I am not so easily dealt with as I was when I was his dancing partner. And I must not forget that he still yearned after Kikyo at New Year's."
But Kagome found that her cheeks were wet with tears, although she had not felt them fall.
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A/N: I had to pack so much explanation into this chapter, I'm surprised it wasn't longer. I tried not to make it preachy and boring. And I forgot Koga's scene until the last minute. Such trials with this chapter, after I'd thought I had finished it! Anyway, please review! There are only 3 chapters left to go after all. Thanks!