Chapter 11

The Preparations

What with one thing and another, three years passed.**

Upon Prince Muso's return with Kagome, there were many arguments with the retainers about whether or not Prince Muso was allowed to marry a peasant. It ended with Prince Muso, at Count Naraku's behests, making Kagome a daughter of a retainer from Izu. That raised her class and eliminated the issues.

The next three years Kagome was taught how to be royalty. She was taught the proper way to bow, to eat, to address important people, entertain important people, pour tea, and pour sake. She wasn't aware that there were multiple ways to pour a liquid from one vessel into another. In fact, she wasn't aware of any of the above-listed things and she hated them all. So she spent most of her time in the library studying her powers or roaming as far as she could from the shiro practicing what she had studied.

During Kagome's training, a new healer was working with the King. He was talented and King Onigumo's health was improving. As such Prince Muso wasn't in the shiro a lot of the time.

From a narrative point of view, nothing happens; Except What with one thing and another, three years passed.**

**Taken directly from the book.

….

The Announcement

The Chiyoda-jō* maru** had never been so full as people awaited the introduction of the young woman that was to be Princess of Mushashi. The crowd began forming two days before the announcement was to be made, it wasn't a particularly large crowd at the time, but it was a crowd nonetheless. One day before the announcement the maru still wasn't quite full, but the number of people waiting grew larger. As the moment grew nearer, peasants from across the province made their way. No one had ever heard of the bride to be, let alone laid eyes on her but the rumors were growing, each less believable than the last.

As planned at noon Prince Muso appeared in the window of the tenshukaku***. The Prince raised his arms to quiet the crowd.

"Good people, as everyone is aware of my honored father's, the king's, health isn't what it once was. He is ninety-seven and we couldn't ask for more. But as you also know Mushashi will need a male heir."

It was odd to see the entire crowd begin to stir at the same time. This topic was one the people both hated and feared. Prince Muso wasn't known for his reliability, staying safe, and as it stood he wasn't married yet. The lack of an heir was troubling, to say the least.

Prince Muso waved his hands again and the crowd quieted, albeit there was still a nervousness to it.

"In a month's time, we will be celebrating my father's birthday. At sunset on his birthday, I shall provide for him the best gift I am capable of. I will marry Kagome, making her Princess. I will assure him that the province will remain in safe hands. Kagome is the daughter of a beloved retainer from Izu. You do not know her yet, but you will meet her now."

Prince Muso swept his arms towards the partially open shōji next to him. It was immediately pulled back revealing Kagome.

The crowd managed to gasp in unison. Prince Muso had planned it this way. He had instructed Kagome to channel her aura until she was revealed, then she was to let it engulf the crowd, letting them feel her power. The theatrics rather annoyed Kagome, but there was little she could do about it at the moment. She had already tried to explain to the Prince that to normal humans her aura would only feel serene, she had matured beyond the time when her aura made people uneasy. But he didn't care to listen and she didn't care to continue the argument.

The twenty-one-year-old Princess-to-be had an aura that far surpassed that of the eighteen-year-old mourner. She just was. Her aura just was, not sad, not happy, but content. She knew her place in life. Her studies in the library had taught her how to control her power in ways Kaede couldn't. She learned her power could be connected to more than just her emotions and thus controlled with more than just her emotions. Most mikos learn from a local teacher, and it worked well. They learned what was necessary for their particular area and shrine. BUT Kagome would be lying if she had said that she didn't appreciate the different books on the subject. Expanding her horizons with her powers and abilities was something she was happy about. It gave her something to enjoy about this ridiculous arrangement.

Prince Muso took her hand and raised it for all to see, the crowd cheered. Then he quickly pulled her back into the room and the shōji slid shut.

"We can't let them become accustomed to seeing you, then they'll expect it."

Kagome frowned. "But they've waited so for this, some waited for days. I would like to go meet them."

It was the Prince's turn to frown. "We do not mingle with peasants if we can avoid it."

"I AM a peasant." With that Kagome made her way to the entrance of the tenshukaku.

When she made it to the door she took a deep breath, mentally prepared herself, and stepped outside. Again the crowd gasped. Kagome smiled as she looked over the crowd and descended the stairs. She made her way into the crowd and where she went the crowd parted. She smiled and greeted the people she came into contact with, letting her aura spread over the maru.

The people there would never forget that day or the happy calm that Kagome washed over them. They had never felt such an aura before and the majority didn't know what it was. All they knew was that being near her brought an overwhelming calm and the great majority adored her already. There were a few withholding their judgment of her until she proved herself as princess and eventually as queen. Of course, a few were envious of her and some even hated her.

But only three were planning to murder her.

Kagome knew none of this. She was still smiling and greeting people, bowing when appropriate. She had studied, albeit not very hard, on how to greet the public properly, so she kept her posture erect and her smile gentle. That her death was so close would have made the world's most powerful miko laugh, had someone told her.

BUT -

-in the farthest corner of the maru-
-deep in the deepest shadow-
-the man in black stood waiting.

He was barefoot, wearing shin guards, a pelt around his waist, shoulder armor, and a wrist guard. Everything he wore was covered in black fur matching his pelt with the exception of his two-toned black breastplate and the black leather mask that covered his head. When looked at in his entirety the man in black was frightening. Both his hands and feet were clawed, and one of his clawed hands was resting on the sword at his side. But perhaps most startling of all were his flashing amber eyes.

Flashing, cruel, and deadly…

…..

*Chiyoda Castle (千代田城, Chiyoda-jō), is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan.

**maru (丸) were the baileys of the Japanese castles

***tenshukaku is the castle keep usually 3-5 stories tall.

I did the whole paragraph describing the armor being worn by the man in black with the actual names. Then I realized it was too hard to read because every other word was Japanese and changed it. But if you would like to learn about the clothing in Inuyasha go here. forum/34-authors-tools/70752-glossary-of-japanese-clothing-inuyasha-characters