A/N: So here it is – the penultimate chapter! The epilogue will be on its way soon enough. I WILL be done before I go back to school! Anyway, after that I'm going to begin a new story called The Once and Future Taiyoukai. It's Sess/Kag and I have an outline and everything – it will be pretty cool. Thanks to everyone for sticking with me through this story and stay tuned for the epilogue. Happy reading.

Thousandfurs

Chapter 18: The King of Nakao

Kagome and Miroku made it back to the Taisho capital in record time, entering the city gates shortly before sunset. The youkai of the city stood to the sides of the streets, allowing them to pass, whispering about the injured prince who was still unconscious. Kagome kept a hand on her love's back, and a piercing look in her eye, to warn any of his detractors off from their usual insults. But the crowd did not call out to them. They closed the way behind them, standing in the avenues with a wide-eyed curiosity.

By the time they could see the palace walls, guards came rushing out to meet them. They gathered their comrades and took them from the weary horses. Kaede came forward to take the prince, her one good eye narrowing at the sight of his injuries. "Put him in his room," she said to the guards, who lifted the prince from his saddle reverently.

The princess made as if to follow, but Miroku held her back. "Your father is coming. We need to speak with the king," he reminded her gently.

"We'll take care of the prince," said Kaede off-handedly as she began to walk after the youkai bearing the prince's body. "He's been through worse."

Kagome conceded and went through the palace gates just in time to see the king and queen rush out, their eyes wide with fear. "Inuyasha!" Izayoi cried, seeing her son.

The king was almost shaking with anger. "What happened?" he said, sharply turning to Miroku.

The diplomat admirably did not quail under his sovereign's glare. "We met a small contingent of the Nakao army in your lands, Your Majesty. Naraku was with them, or at least a demon puppet of Naraku. More intricate than I've ever seen. It was even able to speak with the chef's voice." He looked at Kagome for a moment. "After it impaled Inuyasha, Kagome managed to destroy it."

"Kaede says that he'll be alright," said Izayoi, rejoining their group after the briefest of chats with the healer. Relief was evident in her face.

Toga nodded, relaxing his shoulders a little. "Tell me more of this demon puppet and his army."

Miroku shrugged. "Naraku must have had it with him when he went into the dungeon, or he had set it loose before we caught him. It would only take some meditation and a few incantations to control the puppet from his cell. It is not difficult magic, but it is quite effective. The puppet would be largely indistinguishable from the true Naraku." He took a breath and frowned. "The army was of humans and easily defeated, but the puppet said that there were more coming. An invasion force."

"The puppet also said that he had escaped prison," said Kagome, speaking for the first time. She curtsied to the king and held out Tetsusaiga. "I think he may need a bit more practice with this, Toga-sama, but Inuyasha fought well. Nothing could have harmed me while he was there."

The demon king smiled wryly and took the sword. "Yes, I suppose I will have to teach my son the finer points of using the Fang." He paused and looked up at her with a furrowed brow. "But he was able to transform it?"

"Yes," replied Kagome slowly. "I assumed that you had taught him that, Your Majesty."

The great demon shook his head. "I didn't even know he had taken it, actually. The Fang," he said, drawing the blade and watching it shift to its full size, "will only change for those who wish to protect humans with it. It's why it was so invaluable to me during the war for my mate, and why I was so disheartened by the loss of its hilt."

"He must have wanted to protect you very much," murmured the queen, smiling softly at her mate.

Kagome felt a little flutter in her chest and was about to ask more, when Miroku cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Your Majesties, but there is a more pressing matter. On our way back to the city, a messenger approached Kagome-sama and told her that her father was coming."

Toga's body stiffened as his mate clutched at his arm in silence. "When? With the army?" he asked quietly.

Miroku shrugged. "He simply said 'The king is coming' and could not say anymore."

"Why would he warn us?" asked Izayoi. "What's the sense in that?"

"It was my brother, I'm sure of it," said Kagome. "Sota sent the messenger. He probably didn't have time for details."

"No, he wouldn't," agreed the king. "Do you think that he comes with the army?"

Kagome frowned. "No, I don't. My kingdom has been in battles, but my father has usually left it to his generals. I don't think I've ever seen him go to battle, except when he has been victorious already. He does, however, take care of some matters in person. I think that since two spies failed to kill me or bring me back, he might want to come himself. He probably thinks that you couldn't refuse."

"And I can't," said Toga, shaking his head. "I cannot keep a princess here when her father asks for her return."

"I know, and I expect that," she replied. "But my father hates the danger of dying and I don't think his army would attack while he was here. That is just my opinion, of course."

He sighed and beckoned to a few servants. "I have little choice but to believe that opinion. If we prepare a defensive force, it will threaten the king if he is only here to collect his daughter. Then we would be blamed for any war." He turned to the servants. "We have to make a room for a king."

The servants hesitated. "Your Majesty," said one of the braver ones. "The castle is nearly full. With the Princesses Ayame and Kagome here, as well as Lady Sango's room, we have filled every room of importance."

The king scowled. "Damnable feasts," he muttered.

"He can have my room," said Kagome softly. "I wasn't supposed to be coming back anyway. And I lived under a flight of stairs for months, so any room you move me to would be just fine."

Toga looked as if he wanted to protest, but then nodded. "I see no other alternative. Do as the princess asks," he said. "But put her new room as far from the old one as possible." He exchanged a dark look with his mate who gave a small sound of agreement.

"We will not allow your honor to be lost while you reside in our home," said Izayoi, putting her hand on Kagome's shoulder. "We will post guards for you. You will not see your father if you do not wish it."

Kagome bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I think though, that I should be here to greet him. After that, I will gladly take you up on the offer of additional protection."

They stood in silence for a moment. How could they go on with their evening when a king who wanted his own daughter as a wife and was hell-bent on destroying all youkai was on his way?

The princess looked up at the castle entrance that Inuyasha had gone through, wondering if he was awake yet. Would he be asking for her? He had said such nice things to her when he was lying in her arms out in the forest. Was that because he had been delirious with blood loss? Or did he actually like the smell of her hair? Did he actually want her to become a demon?

Toga saw the apprehension in the princess's liquid brown eyes. "Kagome-sama, go clean up and then you should go see my son. I'm sure he will be asking for you." He turned his gaze away quickly, pretending not to notice the tear falling from her eye. "Miroku, you will join me in speaking with Naraku. I have some questions for him and possibly the sharp ends of my claws. And Izayoi," he said, turning to his mate and embracing her, "see to our guests, my love, and make sure they are settling in for the night. We wouldn't want gossip."

Kagome parted ways with the others and made record time in taking a quick dip in the baths and getting dressed in a formal kimono. All of her secretive dashes to the Taisho dances had served her well and when she finally made her way towards Inuyasha's apartments, she felt refreshingly proper for a princess.

The silence of the castle did wear on her nerves a bit. It was after dinner and she could imagine the youkai sitting on their futons with their full bellies, unaware that the prince was so badly injured. She wondered fearfully that Inuyasha would ever be the same. Sure, Miroku had said he'd had a similar injury once long ago, but he had received immediate attention then. This time, they had had to trek through a cold forest back to the castle.

She approached the door slowly and almost jumped when it slid open and Kaede stomped out. "That boy," she was muttering, "always demanding…" She caught sight of Kagome and bowed. "Go right in, princess, if ye know what's good for us all."

The old healer marched down the hall as Kagome turned to open the door again, trying not to hesitate. He probably already knew he was there, and was waiting for her, so she stepped into his room, treading carefully. A fire was glowing in the corner of the room, and while its glare of red would be enough for a youkai pair of eyes, she could barely see the floor. It smelled of drugs and herbs and faintly, of blood.

"What took you so long?"

The princess jumped and looked over to where the voice had come from. She could barely see a bundle in the middle of a large futon. "Inuyasha?"

"Who else would it be?" he groused, sitting up a bit. The firelight finally caught him and she could see the pale expanse of his collarbone and his white mane of hair.

"Sorry, I thought you would be sleeping still," she said, moving closer to the foot of the bed. "How do you feel?"

"I've got a hole right through my body," he sniffed. "How do you think I feel?"

Kagome frowned. "Well, has Kaede-san given you any medicine? For the pain?"

"I'm not in pain."

"You just said…"

He growled softly. "I'm stuck in bed with these smelly herbs right under my nose. That's why I don't like this. But if you think a little thing like this will make me feel pain, you're wrong."

The princess sighed and sat down on the corner of his futon. "I didn't mean to imply…" she trailed off. "I just wanted to see if you're alright. But since you obviously are, I'll leave. I can see that you don't want to be bothered."

As she turned away from him, he suddenly sat up from his pillows. "I didn't say you could go!"

"Well, now, that sounds familiar," she snapped back, her eyes glowing in the firelight. "Are you going to throw another shoe at me if I try to leave?"

He fell silent for a moment. "I didn't… I didn't mean to," he said finally, his voice soft.

"No, Inuyasha. There are many accidents in this world. Getting caught in the rain, having your bowstring break, spilling an entire jug of water. These things you don't mean to do. Picking up a sandal and throwing it at the head of a servant girl who has obviously had a pretty rough time is entirely intentional." She stood up. "I think I should go."

She began to walk towards the door when the futon creaked and the hanyou prince was suddenly in front of her, clutching at his bandages. "No," he gasped, nearly doubled over. "Don't leave."

Kagome went to him and put an arm around him, trying not to touch his wound. "You shouldn't be out of bed," she murmured, urging him back. She let him collapse back onto the futon, face-first, with a groan. "If you don't want me to leave, Inuyasha, it would be nice if you could just say that. Without a demanding tone, if you please. I've had enough of that from you."

"Please stay," he said immediately, his words muffled by the mattress.

The princess suppressed a smile. "That's better." She took him by the arm and helped him arrange himself properly, covering him with the quilt when he was settled again. This time, she took a seat on the edge of the futon closest to him. "Inuyasha, my father is coming," she said, just as his eyes were drifting closed.

Golden orbs were suddenly peering at her. "Does my father know?"

"Yes. I told him as soon as you were safe with Kaede-san."

"Is he going to take you away?" he asked, his eyes widening.

Kagome had a sudden vision of a child, with amber eyes and white hair, asking this of her as she tucked him into bed. In the vision, Inuyasha was standing behind her, with a smile of fatherly pride. "Um… I don't know," she answered truthfully, shaking her head clear. "Probably. He would never let me stay."

"Why not?" The angry, stubborn hanyou returned with full force.

"Well, he hates demons. You know that. I doubt he would be happy about leaving his only daughter in a youkai kingdom to be 'corrupted', although he probably already considers me sullied by just a few months' stay." She shrugged and began to play with the hem of Inuyasha's quilt. "And, he wanted to marry me himself after all."

He studied her. "What do you mean by that tone? Who else would marry you?"

Kagome scowled, her muscles tensing. "I certainly hope that someone other than my own father!" she snapped. "Really, Inuyasha, do you even think before you speak?"

"Keh, I was just asking," he said, turning his head away.

The princess rolled her eyes and put her chin in her hand. "I thought you wanted me to stay," she said.

"I do," he answered gruffly.

"Did you not want to be my mate anymore?" she asked, her eyes lowered.

He stared at her for a moment. "I said I did, didn't I? I didn't change my mind since last night!"

"Well, you could have," she reasoned. "Ayame is here now. Have you seen her? She's a lovely girl – sorry, 'demon' – and not nearly as temperamental as I am. I don't blame you if you would prefer her. She's at least a youkai, you know? I'm just human. I would understand."

Inuyasha sat up straight, the quilt falling away from his bare chest again. Kagome had to avert her eyes. "Would you marry some guy just because he was human?" he asked.

"What? No, not just for that reason."

"Well then, why are you telling me to take Ayame as my mate just because she's a youkai?"

Kagome shrugged. "I just thought you would prefer that. After all, any… um, child, we would have would be three-fourths human. Have you thought of that?"

"Yeah? So what?" he said, a growl forming behind his words. "I turned out okay. The only reason they hate me isn't because I'm a hanyou, it's because of Kikyo. But you know all about that little story, don't you?"

"Yes," she replied, "but it wouldn't bother you? Wouldn't he be weaker?"

Inuyasha puffed out his chest and then withered in pain again. "I'm not weaker for it," he snapped through his heavy breathing. "You know, my mother isn't really human. She's not really a demon either, but she's not human anymore. She's strong too, you know. Strong as any female demon, but she doesn't show it. That's the difference, between those that are born demons and those that become demons by living with us. They still act human. They don't have our instincts. So they're not demons, but they're more demon than they are human." He looked at her sharply. "Get it?"

"I… I guess so," said Kagome.

"The only one that hates me for being a hanyou is Sesshoumaru," he continued. "And I care about as much about what that bastard thinks as I care about what your father thinks."

The princess sighed. "Unfortunately, my father has an army ready to attack for the sake of what he thinks."

"Screw him." He grimaced. "Never mind. Just let me and my father handle it, okay?"

"I don't know, Inuyasha," she said. "Maybe you should just really mate with Ayame."

The prince scoffed. "Well, I'm not. Even if I wanted to."

Kagome looked up at him and frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh." He colored slightly. Or was it just the firelight? "I guess I have the record, for the most girls to turn me down. She doesn't want to be my mate."

"I talked to her this morning," said Kagome. "She seemed resigned to it then. What did you say to her?"

"Hey, I didn't say anything to her," he argued. "I just told my father, while she was in the room, that I wouldn't mate with her. I'm not going to continue the Taisho line with that wolf. She still reeks of Koga. And that's just fine with her! She wants him and she doesn't want me. And I don't want her. I told my father that if they made us be together, that he would never get a grandson out of me."

"Oh?" She was breathless. "So she wasn't suitable to be the mother of your heirs?"

"Keh, I'm sure she'd be fine," he growled. "But I wasn't going to give her the chance."

Kagome smiled. "You weren't?"

"Why would I have her in my bed?" he asked. "I don't want her there."

"You keep saying that you don't 'want' a lot of things, Inuyasha. Who do you want in your bed?" she asked, rather shocked at her own forwardness.

He looked at her. "Nobody else," he said simply.

Kagome frowned for a moment. "Oh, alright," she replied. What just happened?

Inuyasha growled suddenly and reached for her, encircling her waist with his arms and pulling her towards him. She gave out a little shriek, which died when he buried his nose in her hair. "Nobody else, except you. But you're in my bed already, aren't you?" he asked, his voice becoming thick. "That's what I told my father. No one will be the mother of my sons except for you, Kagome."

She wiggled, making him growl louder, and then froze. "And what if I said 'no'?" she asked softly. Even as she said it, she was leaning into him.

"The Taisho line dies with me," he answered, moving his nose down her ear and to her neck. His fangs grazed her skin at the curve of her throat, causing goosebumps to break out all over her skin. He made a soft noise of appreciation.

"Inuyasha…" she murmured as he continued to nip at her skin, "we can't. My father will be here soon."

He pulled away and gave her the most serious stare she had ever seen on him. "What will you do? Really? Now that you've returned, I'm not letting you go, Kagome. Not even if it does start a war. There's more to this than just you. This is about his kingdom trying to invade mine for power and a bit of land." He closed his eyes briefly. "I don't think even the woman who is both his daughter and wife will dissuade him, whatever you say."

"I have to try," she said quietly, taking a lock of his hair and running her fingers through it. "You have to understand… I want to be your mate, Inuyasha, but I can't let this happen if there was any way I could stop it."

The prince leaned towards her again and put his mouth to her ear. "Fine, I'll make you a deal. When your father arrives, you will be able to try to negotiate with him. If he refuses or tries to take you back, I fight for you. We all fight for you. You'll have your chance and I'll have my mate."

Kagome bit her lip. "Alright. That sounds reasonable enough. I guess if he wouldn't listen to me in Taisho, he wouldn't listen to me in Nakao either."

"Exactly," said Inuyasha, barely listening to anything except the tone that agreed with his plan. He resumed his gentle attack on the skin of her throat.

She smiled and pushed at him. "Any particular reason you're so fixated on my neck right now? What are you? A vampire? You want to suck my blood?" She laughed lightly. Those creepy stories had always been a favorite of Sota's but she found them just a bit ridiculous.

He looked at her with a bemused expression. "Of course I do," he said slowly.

"What?" She pulled away, the look of amusement long gone.

Inuyasha held on tightly though and snickered. "You mean, you never found out exactly what it meant to be a mate of a demon?" he asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes. Without waiting for the inevitable answer, he continued. "When youkai mate, the male bites the female on the neck, to show ownership. Well, that's the old way of thinking. Now, it's just so that no other male tries to take the female away from him. Most youkai are kind of territorial about their mates, if you hadn't noticed." He grinned at her shocked expression and went back her neck.

Kagome blinked. "Does it hurt?"

The prince looked up at her with a slight frown. "I don't know. I guess it would a little. I mean, I will be biting you, Kagome. But lots of mated females have had it done. And they're fine."

"Lots of them? You mean, not all?" she asked, her eyes widening at the thought of blood running down her neck as Inuyasha drank straight from her veins. She shuddered.

His frown deepened. "Kagome, don't be so stupid. My mother had it done to her and she never complained. I've never heard any female complain actually. Most like the protection it gives them. It creates a bond."

"But you said 'lots'. Not all of them," she insisted.

He sighed. "Yeah, well, some females don't let their males mark them. Or the males don't want to. But that's only when they've been forced together by unusual circumstances. Like when the female's previous mate has been unfortunately killed by a weaker foe and she must take the victor as her new mate. But that sort of thing only happens in the wilds, where the demons are barely better than animals."

Kagome took a breath, calming herself a little. If Izayoi had done it, she would not begrudge the mark. It was obviously important to Inuyasha. "Would you have marked Ayame?" she asked, surprising even herself with the question.

Inuyasha's ears flicked forward. "I don't know. I would never share my bed with her, so I could probably resist, but that would make her my weakness. As long as you go through the mating ceremony, you're still considered mates in society, but that's just a show for the more civilized youkai. Out in the wild, she would still be considered unmated. And if anyone tried to challenge me, Ayame could become a scapegoat." He glowered for a moment. "I think I would have to. But that would be painful."

"You just said…"

He reddened slightly. "Well, most youkai mark their mates while um, mating… so, if the male is doing his ah, job right, the female should be… overwhelmed with pleasure so that she doesn't feel the bite as much." He cleared his throat and looked away. "I would just mark Ayame, nothing more."

Kagome was as red as he was. "I see," she said finally. "So you wouldn't do it while… uh…"

"No," he replied firmly, although he was still red.

"Would you um, at all? With her?"

He clenched his jaw a couple times. "No."

"You would live the life of a monk?" She stared at him for a moment. Being uneducated as she was as a princess, she knew nothing about these things, but she had lived among the common servants for a few months and she had heard some things…

He turned a color that would match his haori. "There are such things as concubines, Kagome," he growled. She went rigid in his arms and he looked at her stricken face. "No! I mean, I would if I had to! Not with you though! Damn it, why are we even talking about this?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't know. I was… curious." She was assaulted with an image of Inuyasha entertaining another female while she was crying in her room. "I'm not curious anymore."

He growled at her scent, one that was shifting rapidly from embarrassment to disgust. Clutching her to his chest, he flipped her over, so that she was lying beneath him. "Listen to me," he snarled, effectively silencing her protest. "If I had you, I would never want another. We're not talking about Ayame again. She is not my mate, nor will she ever be. You are. And if you're not careful, I will not resist temptation and I will forget about the mating ceremony altogether. Then you will see how different you are to me."

Kagome looked up at him. A curtain of his thick white hair, which should have blocked out the firelight, surrounded her. But his eyes were smoldering and golden even in the dark. She knew that he could still see her, even if his other features were in shadow for her. "I understand," she whispered. "But please, not yet."

Inuyasha blinked, as if he was coming back to himself, and he sat up. "Kagome…"

"No, it's okay." She sat up and smiled softly at him. "I need to remember that I'm not dealing with a human husband, but with a hanyou mate." The words felt strange on her tongue. She repeated them in her head: husband, husband, husband, mate, mate, mate.

The prince scooped her back into his arms, wincing slightly as her body rubbed against his bandages. "You'll learn," he agreed, enjoying the feel of her weight on his lap. Ah, he could get used to this. He buried his nose into her hair. Yes, he could get used to that scent as well. And that little sigh of hers! Oh Kami, he was turning into a romantic pansy right here, right now. When did Miroku rub off on him so much?

"Are you purring?" she asked him, her tone warning him of a giggle fast approaching.

He stopped the strange noise coming from his throat. "I am not!" he huffed.

"You were too." She pulled away and gave him a loving smile, looping her arms around his neck. "Are you going to write me poetry too, Inuyasha?"

"Hmph, some princess you are! You have a guy willing to go to war for you and you're mocking him!"

"Some prince you are! You want to bite me!"

"Yeah, well, maybe because that's the way it's supposed to be, okay?" he growled.

Kagome scrunched up her face. "Are you always so conventional?" she asked in return.

"Well, maybe you're just lucky that I don't confine you to my room, like wolf youkai!" he retaliated. "Then we'd see who is conventional!"

"That made no sense!" she told him, rolling her eyes.

He was inches from her. "Well, if I kiss you, will you shut up?" he asked.

She smiled brilliantly at him. "Yes, I promise."

The prince smirked, but didn't hesitate in covering her mouth with his own. How could he have not known that Thousandfurs and his princess were the same difficult creature? She tasted like… a challenge. Kami, she would be a nightmare. If he had any sense, if he wanted any semblance of a quiet, normal life, he would go running to find Ayame and beg for her reconsideration. But he was not quite able to let go of this irritating woman in his arms. It was borderline masochistic, really, taking this female into his bed. She would never be the calm, sweet, angelic creature that typically defined 'princess'.

He was going to love every second of this.

They broke apart, their foreheads touching. Kagome was flushed, but smiling. She laughed softly and kissed the tip of his nose. "Inuyasha," she breathed, "I…"

There was a knock at the door and the princess jumped back, scrambling to get to her feet again. Inuyasha growled at the intrusion. "What is it?" he snapped.

"Be nice," whispered the princess as a servant entered.

The prince rolled his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked, forcing a smile so that his fangs showed, giving him the appearance of a jack-o-lantern.

The servant faltered for a moment, but finally remembered to bow before addressing his superiors. "Your Highnesses, the king would like to inform you that a delegation from Nakao has been spotted and should be here within the hour. Princess Kagome's presence is requested, although the prince is allowed to remain in his room to rest, if he so wishes." He bowed again and stepped out of the room.

Inuyasha scoffed. "I think I scared him more by the smiling than I usually do when I…" He trailed off when he caught sight of the pale terror on Kagome's face. Getting to his feet, the prince wrapped his arms around the girl and stroked her hair. "It's gonna be okay, Kagome. I'll be here for you. There's no way I'd let you face that bastard alone."

To her credit, Kagome shed only a few tears of fear before pulling away and wiping her face with the heel of her hand. "I know," she said, her throat thick with salty drops. "We should get you dressed."

Inuyasha grinned, leaning in and nipping at her ear. "Will you help?"

"Pervert," muttered Kagome, pushing him off. But, as she stepped out to allow him some privacy, Inuyasha could see her smile. He felt a surge of triumph and didn't feel the pain as he struggled into a clean haori.

When he joined her out in the hall, however, she was shaking and pale again. "What did I just tell you?" he asked, pulling her into an one-armed embrace.

"That with Ayame you would have had to resort to having a concubine," she replied stonily.

"Idiot," he muttered, taking her small hand in his.

They walked together slowly, not bothering to waste time with words. The castle was silent. Everyone had gone to bed that hadn't heard of the bigoted king traipsing down the city streets at this late hour of the night. Kagome had to stop several times, which Inuyasha pretended to be annoyed about, but he stayed with her, urging her on with an impatient clicking of his claws. Worrying that Inuyasha was seriously doubting her bravery distracted her from worrying about her father, which of course, was the prince's intention.

When they got to the grand foyer, they saw that Sango and Miroku had stayed awake, as well as Sesshoumaru. The king and queen had remained in their formal dinner garb, as it was equally appropriate for greeting late guests as it was for entertaining those guests that were on time (and also, those actually invited).

Kagome gripped Inuyasha's hand tightly, using the other to smooth her hair that she feared had gotten mussed with the prince's antics in his bedroom. The servants had pinned it tightly though, and the prince finally stilled her hands with a complaint about her fidgeting. Her hand had barely resumed its place at her side when there was a flurry of activity amongst the servants. The great double doors of the castle entrance were opened and the king moved forward to the threshold.

The princess tried to keep her breathing even. When she had been presented formally to court in Nakao, she had failed to do this and had held up the entire ceremony with a bout of hyperventilation. That wouldn't do, not now. She concentrated on Inuyasha's firm grip, telling her wordlessly not to worry.

The king was speaking to someone – or several people, Kagome couldn't tell – at the doorway. They were in shadow, but he was bowing and inviting them in. The obi suddenly felt very tight and she feared that she would faint in the middle of the hall.

"Kagome."

She looked up at the sound of her name, blinking to clear her hazy vision. What she saw nearly did make her faint. There was her brother, standing not three feet in front of her, with a smile upon his face.

"Kagome," he said again, holding out his hands.

The princess started forward. "Sota," she cried, hugging him tightly. He had grown, even in the past few months. Or had it just been too long? But she remembered having to bend over the last time she had embraced him, when she had been stealing out the window at the beginning of winter. Now, at the end, she was barely stooping. "Sota. Oh Kami, I'm so happy to see you."

"Hey, Sis," he murmured, hugging her with a fierceness that she also did not remember. He pulled away and grinned. "So, how's life?"

Kagome laughed. "Better, now that you're here." She looked up and over his shoulder (hadn't it been over his head the last time?) "Where's Father?"

Sota's face flickered with a strange emotion. "Sis?"

She looked back at him and noticed something else. "Sota, you have a new crown. I've never seen that one before. It looks good on you. Did Father make it for you?"

Sota looked around at the observers of this little discourse, all of whom seemed just as perplexed as the princess. "Kagome… didn't you get the message that I sent?" he asked, holding her hands.

"I got it on the road. 'He wanted to warn you. The king is coming.'" She laughed softly and shook her head. "Scared me half to death, but I understood why it was so short. You must not have had time for anything else. How did you get Father to allow you to come?"

"I'm my own master now," said Sota, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Kagome, that wasn't the entire message that I sent."

"He didn't say anything else."

Sota rolled his eyes. "Damned fools. I'll have to speak to them," he said to himself, before looking back to his sister. "Kagome, Father is dead. I am the king of Nakao now."

The princess felt a trill run through her body and she suddenly needed to sit down, although there was no chair behind her. Inuyasha caught her in his arms, holding her steady until she nodded. "What do you mean?" she asked, squeezing the prince's shoulder to let him know she was all right. "How can he be dead? He can't be dead. He was healthy. Strong, even."

"Yeah, but kind of insane too, if you hadn't noticed," said Sota – King Sota now. "About a week ago, he went on a hunting trip with Lord Maeda – do you remember him? He was the one that first defended you when Father announced his plans to marry you. Anyway, he went out with Maeda and was shot by a stray arrow meant for a stag."

"Maeda?" She remembered him, of course. He was very powerful, with a specially trained contingent of the Nakao army under his command.

Sota shrugged. "Well, we buried him two days ago. I decided to forgo the usual mourning period in light of the fact that he had pretty much incensed every subject we had. You know, between the fiasco with you and the taxes he suddenly levied and the war propaganda he was trying to stir up instead of dealing with our own kingdom's problems." He shrugged again and placed a hand on the sword at his waist that Kagome finally recognized as the king of Nakao's traditional weapon. "My coronation is in a week. I came here hoping that you could attend. And of course, all of the youkai dignitaries that wish to accompany you," he added, bowing to Toga and Sesshoumaru.

"You're going to make peace with us then?" asked Inuyasha, speaking for the first time.

Kagome's brother looked at him. "The advantage of having a father that was completely narcissistic is that he never deemed it necessary to spend time around his children. And so, we never learned his prejudices. I would like, very much, to become allies with our demon neighbors once again. An ancient idea, perhaps, but one that has a lot of merit."

The princess smiled. "Listen to you! You talk like a king!" She gathered him into another embrace. "I've missed you so much!"

Sota laughed, immediately sounding like her baby brother once again. "Thanks, Kagome. I've missed you too."

"We can assume, of course, that this Maeda killed your father?" Sesshoumaru questioned as the siblings beamed at one another.

Kagome looked shocked, while Sota appeared completely at peace. "Yes, he did. Or one of his men did," said the new boy king. "Without my approval, of course, but that was to protect me from any backlash that my father's supporters might stir up. We found out though, that my father has no supporters any longer. The entire court knows what Maeda has done and they don't speak of it. I promoted him to the position of my personal advisor. It is the general opinion that he was simply the executioner, and my father was the traitor of Nakao."

He said this all with such seriousness that Kagome almost wept. But she steeled herself and smiled at her brother. "I will come to your coronation, of course, Sota." She held up a hand when Inuyasha began to protest. "But first, you must give me permission to remain with the prince I have chosen to become my mate. You are my guardian now that you are king, after all."

Sota looked at the white-haired youkai that stood by his sister. He had guessed upon his entrance that this was more than just a simple friendship, by the way they had held hands and how swiftly and lovingly he had caught her, but this was a happy confirmation. He smiled. "Sis, I officially free you of any obligation to the throne of Nakao, besides the fact that you must visit your little brother from time to time. You can do as you wish, with my blessings."

"Excellent," said Toga, smiling broadly for the first time in ages. "King Sota, we have prepared a room for you, if you wish. I take it you have never been to a mating ceremony before?" He took the boy by the shoulders and began to steer him up the stairs as he began to talk of the intricacies of mating versus marriage.

"You owe me a good story in the morning, Sis! I want to hear everything!" called Sota, back over his shoulder. "Good night!"

"Good night!" replied Kagome. She waited until her brother and soon-to-be father-in-law disappeared around the corner before launching herself into Inuyasha's arms with a cry of joy. He held her tightly. "He won't hear everything," she said to him, her mouth next to his ear.

"Good," he said, kissing the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

"Disgusting," muttered Sesshoumaru as he wandered away to his own mate and his own bed.

Sango and Miroku simply smiled and wandered off and up the steps.

"He's dead, he's dead," she repeated, craning her head back. "Oh Kami, I know it's horrible of me, but I've never been so happy!" She hugged Inuyasha once again.

They were alone in the foyer by now. Breaking apart, they looked at one another. "Kagome," began Inuyasha, "I lo-."

"Don't say it," she said, interrupting him. "Not yet. You don't know if you do. You don't know me well enough. I haven't changed my mind about that. I'm content in that you care for me and that you're absolutely sure that you can put up with me for the rest of your life."

The prince's ears flattened against his head. Just as he was about to speak, he frowned and looked up the stairway. "Oh, crap," he muttered.

Kikyo appeared, fully dressed in a magnificent kimono. She smirked at the couple. "I heard that the king arrived from Nakao," she said, sweeping down the stairs in a pretentious way that made Kagome want to slap her. "Is he already in his room?"

"Yes," said Inuyasha slowly. "What do you want, Kikyo?"

As usual, the haughty princess ignored this question. She circled the pair, taking note of how their hands clutched together. "I'm surprised that the king allowed you two to remain in the same building. Are these your last few moments together?" She hugged her own shoulders. "How sadly romantic. A hard-fought love that only ended up dying in the end. Can't exactly fight now that Daddy's here, can you, my little furry princess?"

Kagome's eyebrow shot up. "I don't think you understand," she began with a quiet, almost menacing, tone.

Kikyo's face turned sour. "Well, it's not like any of your family would allow this laughable union." She sneered at the other princess. "So what if you're royalty? You still served me. And Inuyasha too! Do you think that will ever go away? That people will ever forget that you were a servant once? It doesn't matter if you were a princess before and now! For a few months you were barely worthy to lick the bottom of my shoe. And now that Daddy's here, I'm sure that that's where you be sent back – a dismal little hole with no title and no prince with whom to go dancing off."

The other girl frowned, holding up a hand to stop Inuyasha from jumping in. "Just because you think these things, doesn't actually make them true, Kikyo. You should get the facts before you start spouting off insults to anyone of my rank."

"Rank of scullery maid?" snapped Kikyo. "And what 'facts' could possibly change my mind?"

Inuyasha smiled wickedly. "You have no idea."

"May I be allowed to spoil the party?" asked a voice. They turned to see the king and queen descend the stairs once again. He bowed to Kagome. "The king of Nakao is settling in quite comfortably. That trip must have really been a hard one. He was practically falling asleep as he bid us goodnight." He turned to Kikyo. "However, he did have some interesting things to tell us. About you in particular."

"Me?" For the first time Kagome had seen her, Kikyo faltered a bit. "Whatever about? I mean, I have met the king of Nakao, but hardly ever spoken with him. I was looking forward to renewing the acquaintance."

The king narrowed his eyes. "Actually, there is no acquaintance to renew. This king of Nakao is one you have never met. The one you knew is dead, killed by one of his own men. His son is now king and I assure you that he is not interested in anything you have to offer, Kikyo."

The princess bristled. "Since when have you lost your civil tongue, Your Majesty? Do I no longer have a title? I was once – must I remind you – almost your daughter."

"Almost, thank Kami, is not enough," said Toga. He looked at his son. "Inuyasha, you may be rather appalled – but certainly not surprised – to know that your former betrothed once attended a dance in Nakao. It was right after you had become engaged. She slept with the king of Nakao that night and she frequently returned to him, unknown to even the queen."

"Slander!" cried Kikyo. "Toga-sama, I thought you had more sense than to believe such ridiculous lies!"

"No," said Inuyasha firmly, looking at his former love, "I knew you were with others. I remember the scents you used to carry. Did you think you could fool a dog demon with a couple of baths? You were such a self-indulgent idiot."

Kikyo took a step back. "That's no proof… You can't just say these things!"

"Actually," said Izayoi with a sweet smile, "Sota-sama has told us that his father kept meticulous records, including copies of all the letters he has ever sent, both professional and personal. When he was going through the papers, he found several letters to you, discussing your trysts in detail. Oh, and he found the responses you sent back. I wouldn't have thought it possible for a princess to write such indecent things."

The girl turned red. "Inuyasha," she pled.

"If you think that I am going to defend you, Kikyo," he growled, "you are more delusional than I thought. I'm not your fool any more."

Toga nodded. "Be thankful that we have decided to not disclose this information to either your family or to any of the court. You slept with a man who was married, who had children and who was bent on the extermination of my kind. As you are not part of my court, this is not treason, but it is a personal injury to my family." He looked down his nose at her. "I have been waiting a long time to say this for a good reason, Kikyo: You are not wanted here, and I request that you leave my kingdom permanently."

Kikyo gaped, her hands clutching at the fabric of her kimono. All of the others simply stared at her, unsmiling and unyielding. She drew in a breath and lifted her chin. "Very well. I will not stay any place that I am insulted and not given the respect I deserve," she said, her voice wavering on the last few syllables. "Goodbye." She turned and made her way up the stairs.

"Hmm, I enjoyed that," said the king, breaking into a smile.

"A little too much, I think," added Izayoi, rolling her eyes. She caught sight of the pensive look on Kagome's face and tugged on her mate's arm. "Alright, we did what we wanted to do. We don't have to eat breakfast with that horrible girl tomorrow morning. Let's go to bed, my mate."

"What? Oh, yes, of course." He followed her dutifully, an arm around her waist to bring them closer.

Kagome watched the loving royal couple walk up the stairs. She nearly shed a tear, but she had been crying for a large part of the day, and the tears wouldn't come.

"I can't believe Sota told them all that," she murmured.

Inuyasha scoffed. "Knowing my parents, they've suspected it for a long time and drilled your brother, even if he could barely keep his eyes open. They can be really annoying in that way." He sighed and silence swallowed them for a few moments.

"Kikyo," she said softly, "I had almost forgotten about her."

"Well, then, you're fortunate," replied Inuyasha.

She bit her lip, thinking back to the incident in the courtyard. She had stood there, listening to him say that he wouldn't know who to choose if it came down to it – her or Kikyo. She wanted to ask, she wanted to get reassurance from him that she truly was the only one he wanted now, but she knew it would just upset him. He would just get defensive and she would forever doubt that he did not still love Kikyo.

"Inuyasha?"

"Hmm?" He was kicking at the floor.

"I love you."

He stopped in mid-kick and stared at her. She looked sad. No, scratch that, she smelled sad. "Oi, wench, why are you so unhappy about that?"

Kagome shook her head and tried to smile. "I… I just wanted you to know, Inuyasha."

The prince frowned for a moment. He looked at her and then looked at the stairs, a flicker of understanding going over his face. "Kagome! You can't believe that I still love Kikyo!" he growled. "Because I don't!"

"I never said you did!" she answered.

"You may as well have," he retaliated. "I can smell it on you! I mean, didn't you hear my father? She slept with our enemies. Your father! Believe me, I was really over the whole 'she cheats on me' thing a long time ago."

"Look, I just wanted to say it, okay?" she snapped. "Because it's true. And I just wanted you to know. How I smell while I say something doesn't mean everything, you know."

Inuyasha glared at her. "Yes, it does." He crossed his arms and looked away. "Kami, I can't wait until you develop a demon sense of smell. Then you'll know what I mean. Then you'll be equal to me."

"Then I'll be your equal?" she questioned, her eyes widening with the offense.

"No!" His ears flattened and his hands fisted. "That's not what I meant! I meant that then you'll be able to smell just as good as me and you'll be able to tell what I'm thinking of too! That's how it works. Then we wouldn't have these stupid arguments over whether I love Kikyo, because you'd know just by my scent that I can't stand the sight of her!"

Kagome was slightly cowed. "Well, I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that," she said, lowering her voice. "How will I know one scent from another? And what they mean?"

Inuyasha took a breath. "You just… know. I can't explain it." He frowned and looked back at her. "Well, maybe I can, but it's complicated."

"Try me."

"Alright," he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. "It's like… like having a translator. You know, for foreign dignitaries? You can't understand what's going on just by looking at them, and listening to them alone, but once you add that translator, everything makes sense. Their movements and their expressions – it just clicks into place. You can tell if they're talking about war or peace… or… or, whatever. So you would be able to tell that I hate Kikyo, because my scent tells you that. And… and… you wouldn't feel overshadowed by her because my scent would tell you why you shouldn't feel that way. I don't actually have to say anything, because really, I already have." He sighed with a hopeful look in her direction.

Kagome blushed. "That's not too complicated," she whispered.

"I guess not," he replied.

They stood in silence for a few moments. "Oh hell," he muttered. "Kagome, I love you."

"Inuyasha!" She stared at him. "I thought I-."

His ears flattened. "Damn it, Kagome, I'm not waiting for you to get your demon senses so that you can have proof before you believe me. You're just going to have to believe me! I mean, humans do it all the time, right? If I was human and we were in a human kingdom, you would just have to believe me, so why don't you? I mean, you love me and I accept that!"

She remained silent for a few moments, with her hands folded together and her eyes on the floor. "I suppose it's that I know you better than you know me. Or, at least, I think I do… It just seems so soon," she murmured. She sighed and moved towards him.

"But, I guess that I should give you that benefit of the doubt," she continued when he moved to protest again. "We're both kind of going into this blind, aren't we? So why should you love your irritating servant any less than I love my jackass of a prince?" She shrugged with a smile. "I accept that you love me, Inuyasha."

He smirked at her, gathering her into his arms. "So you'll become my mate?"

"Yes," she said, closing her eyes.

"Tomorrow?"

She laughed and put her hands around his shoulders. "Yes."

Inuyasha gave a self-satisfied little nod. "Good. You won't regret it."

She opened her brown eyes. "No," she said, realizing it as she spoke. "I won't at all."

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A/N: I think I win for greatest fake-out ever. Haha. Before you kill me for making you worry or before you yell at me for taking a cheap way out, remember that the story never mentions the princess's father coming back. Ever. (Which always struck me as strange, considering she must have married one of her father's neighboring kingdom's princes, right?) Of course, I fudged it a bit with Sota visiting, but I have no idea how I would of dealt with the father coming back. I would have probably just killed him off anyway.

In other matters – forgive me for being redundant but some people only read the bottom note and not the top and vice versa – I have a new story coming out after this one is completed. It's called The Once and Future Taiyoukai and it's Sess/Kag. I'm pretty excited about it. I will also be posting it on Single Spark. Please read it and review. Give it a chance, all your Inu/Kag lovers, and all you Sess/Kag shippers – you're welcome. Haha.

Seriously, you guys are the best. I will post the epilogue soon!