A/N: Thank you everyone that is reading my story. I hope you guys like it. And I am so sorry for all the mistakes that I have made with the character names. I changed most of it, but if some of them are still wrong, you have my deepest apologies.

Chapter Four

Isn't that a coincidence?

There was a clanking of pebbles on Kagome's window that woke her. Everything was still pitch black dark. "Who is throwing those pebbles?" thought Kagome sleepily as she slowly got out of bed to see who it was.

Peering out of the window, she saw below out on the empty streets stood Sango. Kagome was a little startled to see her best friend out on the streets throwing pebbles at her window in the middle of the night. Sango motioned Kagome to go downstairs and to meet her.

She quickly dressed in the dark, walked silently down the stairs, and slipped out of the restaurant. "What are you doing here this late Sango?" she asked after they hugged.

Kagome and Sango had played with one another since they were little. Sango's father was a wealthy judge in the city and at first didn't allow their friendship, but had to give in. He had told Kaede that Kagome wasn't fit to socialize with his daughter due to their educational and status differences. Kaede even tried to talk Kagome into not playing with Sango. Yet, the girls would sneak out to see each other when he hadn't let them see one another during the nights. In the end, it was easier to allow their friendship then for the two girls to pursue it behind his back.

"Can we go inside, Kagome? I need to tell you some things. It's important." She said this with urgency in her voice.

"Yeah, of course. Just keep your voice low." The two walked quietly in and shut the door behind them. They sat down at a small table in the corner.

"I have to tell you something," Sango whispered almost to quiet to hear, "My father has just told me about my arranged marriage since birth. He, my soon to be husband, is coming here tomorrow. I don't want to get married Kagome." Sadness filled Sango's eyes that ripped into Kagome's heart.

"What? I can't believe this. What's his name? What does he do for a living? Have you ever met him before?"

"His name is Miroku. He's coming here to take the examinations for official spots in the government, which are going to be held in three days. My parents told me that I have met him once when I was very little. I don't remember how he is at all. How am I supposed to spend the rest of my life with him?"

Kagome clutched her hand. "I'm sure your parents chose a good guy for you. Don't worry." In reality, Kagome wasn't sure if Sango's parents had made a good decision. In the past they hadn't, about who she should be friends with or her education. They believed that girls didn't need to anything besides cooking, sewing, and cleaning. With Kaede's input, Sango got to go to school and learn to fight. "So maybe this time they hadn't made a good decision either," she thought.

"Don't lie. Have they done anything right?"

"You are well off. But with the whole parenting thing, your parents… need some work."

"My life is over." She closed her eyes. "We'll see tomorrow, won't we?"

"I guess so. And Sango, I have something to tell you too."

"What is it?" She eyed her suspiciously.

"I'm going to marry… Kouga."

"WHAT!" Sango said it louder than she had intended.

"Shhhh! Do you want everyone to wake up? I'm marrying him so we can keep our restaurant."

&

Upstairs, Inuyasha had heard Sango yell from downstairs and got out of bed to see what it was all about. "I can never live in peace here," he said grumpily.

&

"What do you mean, 'keep the restaurant'?"

"The taxes are getting too high for us to pay them off. We're too far in debt and if we don't pay this month, the government is going to take it."

"How much money do you need?"

"1000 yen."

"That much?"

Sango wanted to help, but she didn't have much money; it was her parents that we're rich, not her.

"So we both have marriage problems…" Kagome said just as Inuyasha came down the stairs.

"How do you have marriage problems, girl? You should be thankful that someone is actually marrying you." Inuyasha didn't have the slightest clue whom she was going to marry.

"What are you doing down here at this time?" she hissed.

"I heard someone yell, so I woke up and came down here to see who it was," he said sleepily, ready to go up to bed.

"Well, it was my friend, Sango," pointing at the girl that was sitting in at the table in the corner, looking completely confused as to who Inuyasha was. "We were just talking about some things, and she was just about getting ready to leave, so you can go back to bed now."

"What kind of conversation were you two having this late?"

"Nothing you need to know about."

Kagome came over to her best friend and showed her to the door. Sango didn't understand why she had to leave, but in the end gave Kagome a dirty look before shutting the door behind her.

She turned around as soon as the door had closed behind her, thinking that Inuyasha had gone back to bed. To her surprise, he was still standing right where he had stood before.

"Why aren't you going back to bed?" she said questionly. "What did he want now?" she thought in frustration.

"Oh… I just want to know who you are planning to marry."

"No one," Kagome said in disgust and headed for the stairs to her room to get some sleep. She hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep ever since he had come here.

However, she wasn't going to get the rest she needed tonight. Inuyasha followed her right to her room.

She turned around ready to scream at him, but instead said, "Sir, if you had forgotten where your room was it is over there on the other side. This is my room. Good night."

Kagome pushed open the door and got into bed without caring to change out of her clothes and pulled the covers over her head trying to find sleep. Then suddenly, the covers were pulled off her head revealing a sleepily Inuyasha.

"Who is it?"

"Who are you talking about? Get out of my room. Go to bed. Why do you have to bother me?" she asked in despair. It was probably three in the morning now and in only a couple more hours Kagome was in for another day of work.

"Just tell me who you are getting married to, and I'll leave you alone."

"Why do you even care who I get married to?" She just couldn't understand why he would want to know so badly.

Inuyasha had gotten everything he had ever wanted as a child. This was just something he did not know, so he had to find out.

There was a long pause of silence. Kagome felt awkward for having Inuyasha in her bedroom and standing over her while she was there lying in bed.

"It's not that I like him… it's for the restaurant."

"Who?"

Inuyasha couldn't understand why he would want to know this badly to not go back to bed. He just wanted to know and he wasn't leaving until he got a satisfying answer out of her.

"It's…"

"Should she actually tell him?" Kagome thought, "Well, everyone will know once we get married, it wouldn't hurt if he knew sooner."

"It's… Kouga."

"What? How could you get married to him? What are you thinking girl?" He started at her in disbelief.

"Why shouldn't I get married to him?" she shot back. She knew herself that Kouga wasn't a great guy, but was there more to him that Inuyasha knew that she didn't about him.

"He's… He's the worst person ever in the world that you could ever think of to marry. You're pretty bad yourself, but even you don't deserve him."

"What is that suppose to mean that I'm pretty bad? All I've been to you this whole time that you were here is pleasant."

"Like the time you spilt tea on me."

"And the time you dangled that rat on my door."

"You can't prove it was me," he smirked.

"I don't know why I'm even having this conversation with you. Go to sleep." Kagome pulled the covers over her head once more and once again they were pulled back down. "What can it be now? I already told you who it was."

"You can't marry him."

"You can't tell me what to do."

"You will see." And with that, Inuyasha finally left.

"Finally, peace." She fell right to sleep without a care for what tomorrow would bring.

&

Inuyasha had gotten little sleep that night. He couldn't let Kouga marry Kagome. He couldn't.

Kouga and Inuyasha had played with each other when they were toddlers, but had always gotten into fights. Kouga was deceptive and an aggressive person.

Inuyasha was the only heir to the throne and everyone in the palace knew that. However, Kouga was the second one in line for the throne. His dad was the king's only brother and he only had one son, Kouga. When they had gotten older for the both of them to understand their standings to the power to rule over all of China, Kouga began to plan ways to kill Inuyasha and have a clear path to become king.

Once Kouga had come into Inuyasha's room in the night and tried to murder him in bed. Luckily that night, Inuyasha hadn't been able to fall asleep and was lying in bed wide awake. Kouga was expected to find him asleep, so held up his sword ready to kill Inuyasha with one stroke, but was horror struck when Inuyasha took out his blade and countered the shot. Kouga knew he wouldn't winning fighting him one on one, so quickly slipped out of the window and out of sight.

He had lied to Kagome about Kouga being his cousin three times removed. In reality, they were cousins, almost as close in blood as brothers. The king, Inuyasha's father, and Kouga's father had always been in disagreement, so he left the palace to govern this city.

How could Inuyasha stop Kagome from marrying Kouga? He didn't like her, but he couldn't have stand by the side and let Kouga ruin her life.

He soon fell asleep from pure exhaustion and still hadn't come up with any plan.

&

At six when the sun was just rising, Kagome pulled herself out of bed and went down to the kitchens. Kaede was already in there and working on the breakfast meal.

"Did you not sleep well, Kagome?"

She was red eyed and her hair was a mess. "No, but I'm fine."

"Are you still going to marry him?"

"Why couldn't people stop asking her about that?" she thought. "Yes, Aunt Kaede. I'm going to go over to his mansion this morning and tell him."

"You know that you don't have to do this, right?" her aunt said miserably. She didn't want Kagome to do this for her, but found no way to stop her.

Kagome ignored her aunt's last comment and headed out to set up the tables. There sitting just outside of the kitchens was Inuyasha.

"Are you seriously marrying Kouga?" he asked immediately.

Now Kagome had had enough. "YES! And I really don't care what anyone thinks about it. I'm going to go over right now and to tell Kouga that I think that we should get married."

She stomped towards the door and flung it open. Inuyasha got up quickly and grabbed her by the arm.

"How about I go with you?"

"Sure. If you want, I can't really stop you."

"True, if you had said no, I would have gone anyway."

"Typical of you."

The headed out into the streets in walked in silence. No one was out and just a few people were setting up their carts. It took about twenty minutes of slow walking to get to Kouga's mansion.

It was gated, so Kagome knocked loudly until a guard came out.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Kagome. I would like to speak to Kouga please."

"He isn't up yet. Come back later."

"It's important. He would want to hear it."

The guard thought of a second, trying to decide whether to wake up Kouga or not.

"It better be important then…"

This whole time, Inuyasha was trying to come up with a plan to stop this marriage. So far he has come up with nothing that wouldn't interfere with his true identity.

After a few moments, the guard returned with Kouga still in his pajamas.

"Good morning, Kagome. Wow, you look terrible." That morning Kagome hadn't changed and was wearing what she had gone to bed the last night and hadn't even bothered to brush her hair or wash her face.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence Kouga asked, "What brings you here so early?" He did not see Inuyasha, who was standing beyond his view.

Kagome didn't know how to begin to tell Kouga about this situation and it felt even more awkward with Inuyasha standing right behind her. "Remember how you asked for… my hand in marriage last month and I refused you. Well… I was wondering if I could… change my… answer."

"You want to marry me?" Kouga couldn't believe this.

"Ummm…"

Before she could tell Kouga that she wanted to marry him, Inuyasha interrupted her.

"But I love Kagome as well, so maybe there's a way that we could prove to her who would be a better match for her."

Kagome turned around wide eyed and Kouga's mouth dropped.

"What have I done?" he thought.

A/N: Who is she going to marry? This story is long from over. So keep reading!