She laid there on the table with her legs sprawled out. She was fearful to move. Sesshomaru had told her to stay, or he would beat her again. She did not know where he had gone, but she did not want to test his wrath.

She could feel his warm cum oozing out of her, and the feeling alone caused her to cry again. Why did this have to happen? Why? None of this made any sense.

The door then slammed open, revealing the Demon Lord himself. She instinctively snapped her legs together, but a simple glance in his direction had her slowly moving them wide. Kagome did not want to cause more undue harm to herself.

Sesshomaru walked to her and pulled her up by her wrist. Kagome no longer fought him, however she did not assist in his pull. He lifted her to his shoulder and carried her.

She briefly considered fighting him, but instead just lay limp. She felt him wrap the blanket around her and walk towards the door.

"Where are we-"

She stopped. It didn't matter, he was going to take her wherever he wanted and she was going to have to accept it.

The cold air rushed to her, but the blanket shielded her. He smacked the blanket to her skin, but continued walking. The smack, while intentional and unwanted, was helpful in stopping the air that had managed to make its way to her through the blanket. Sesshomaru walked for only a few hundred feet before the smell hit Kagome's nose and she noticed where they were headed.

"Is… is that a hot spring?" her voice squeaked as she lifted her head and looked around.

"Hn."

Within a moment she found herself being unwrapped and dumped into the hot water. Water flooded her nostrils and she involuntarily took in a breath of water, trying to breathe. She flailed briefly before a hand lifted her by the shoulder.

"Woman, calm yourself."

She gagged and the water that had reached her stomach came up violently. She held the corner of the arm of Sesshomaru as she righted herself.

"When did he get in the water?" She thought as she pulled away from him.

He allowed her this freedom as he laid back against the edge of the bank. He was tired, and his muscles ached slightly. He had spent too much time running to and from his palace and needed this. "She needed this." He thought as he eyed her.

"Do not stray far from this Sesshomaru, or cover yourself."

She glared at him, but did as he commanded. She pushed and pulled the water up and down her arms, enjoying the feel of the hot water on her own muscles. She ached and burned. All of her was in pain, especially in her most precious of places. She closed her eyes and rubbed her shoulders, bringing them down and encircling her own waist, gripping it lightly.

"All of it hurts. It hurts so much..."

She brought her hand down and cupped herself. She was sure she was leaking. She had to be with as much as he had finished inside her. She allowed her finger to dip inside her and attempt, albeit clumsily, to remove what she could.

Sesshomaru contemplated saying something obscene to her in regards to the unknown show she was giving him. He'd be amiss if he didn't say that it was affecting him.

Her face did not blush as she dipped her fingers into her canal, again and again. Instead it contorted into a painful scowl. She was in pain, and she was shamed.

"Per the usual." Sesshomaru thought as he snorted.

The snort is what brought Kagome out of her cleansing mantra. Her eyes snapped open and with a horrified expression she glanced towards Sesshomaru. He had an indifferent expression as he seemed to look through her.

"Miko, your actions do not disgust this Sesshomaru."

"I… I… I WASN'T DOING IT FOR YOU!" She screamed as she moved away. "I just wanted you… you… you out of me." The last bit she whispered, but he heard her none the less.

"Miko, you exasperate this Sesshomaru with your tone."

Sesshomaru glared at her as he said, sure she understood the underlying threat in his own voice.

Kagome nodded lightly, but remained in her position.

"What do you want of me?" She asked, finally.

He looked at her then, contemplating what to tell her. The truth? Was he even sure of it? What exactly did he want?

"This Sesshomaru wants our agreement to be as beneficial as possible to both parties."

Kagome bit her lip in agitation. "I don't want to say this rudely-"

"Then do not speak." Sesshomaru cut her off.

Her eyes narrowed at him, "It needs to be said."

He looked away from her and simply nodded, "Very well."

"What, exactly, is the benefit? For me?"

Sesshomaru sighed, allowing his mask to drop for a brief moment with her. Turning back to face her he stood and walked towards her, dropping his hand atop her shoulder. He saw her wince slightly, but did not protest.

"You will become a very powerful woman, and you will gain what you have wanted most."

"I don't want power, and what could you know what I could want?"

"Miko, it is best to not bite the hand that feeds."

She threw her fists down in the water, agitated from the lack of clear answers.

"Will you stop being so damn cryptic? How hard is it to say "If I do X, Y will happen"?"

Sesshomaru again eyed the young girl. "You want the terms in clarity?"

"Yes."

"Hn. Very well."

He walked back towards the bank of the pool and grabbed a chunk of dirt. He brought it back to Kagome, extending it to her.

"For this." He stated, handing the clump of dirt to her, "You have given this." He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close, purposely forcing them to remain. "Those are the terms on the most basic levels, Miko."

"For eternity?" She said, eyes brimmed with tears.

"For eternity."

Sesshomaru left her, returning to the bank to retrieve a small package. He walked back to Kagome and handed the silken wrapped item to her.

"I want no gifts from you."

"It is not from this Sesshomaru. It was a gift from the court."

She eyed him suspiciously.

"As this Sesshomaru has stated to you before, with this contract you have been given a much grander title than you previously had."

He left her, this time returning to the shore and leaving her.

Kagome had planned on chucking the small package towards the woods, but her fear of punishment for spurning his court stopped her from it. The package was small, and Kagome could tell it held at least two items. One hard and square, and another hard and cylindrical. The silk that wrapped it was intricate and contained a pattern of cherry blossom leaves. It was exquisite to be honest.

She unwrapped the silk to reveal what appeared to be a bar of soap, and a vial of some sort of liquid. The soap was a dark grey, mixed with what she could only infer to be animal fat. The vial, when she opened it smelled like roses.

"A perfume?" She questioned aloud.

"It is a hair cleaner." Sesshomaru stated.

She whipped around, forgetting for a moment that he was here. "Oh. And this, is soap?" She asked, holding the bar up towards him.

"Hn. It's a charcoal based cleanser."

He had already begun leaving the water.

"Miko, this Sesshomaru will be only a few meters away."

She rolled her eyes as she turned away. Any time away from him would be more than welcomed.

She used the silk cloth as a wash cloth, albeit a one very different from the rags she was so accustomed too. She soaped up the cloth and washed herself with it. The charcoal did not have a smell as she so expected, but did allow a sense of deep clean. She felt cleaned, almost as if the atrocities that happened not too long ago had washed away with the hot water.

The "shampoo" did little in regards to sudsing, but did leave her hair feeling a sense of clean that was comparable to her time in her own era. The scent it left her hair is really what made it all come together. It smelled amazing, and she briefly wondered the process to make it.

Sesshomaru had watched for a period of time. He had dressed and simply stood by, allowing her to enjoy this. He had not expected her to enjoy the bath as much as she did, but he did recall her frequent bathing rituals when they had traveled together those many years ago.

Why he chose to do this, he was not entirely sure. At first, he had simply wanted to clean her up to prepare for the announcement of her place, but once he felt her physical release of stress upon bathing, he allowed her the time she wanted. It brought her joy.

He shook his head, he should care very little about her joy, yet here he was purposefully bringing it. He even brought her cleaning products. Yes he had lied, his first true lie in fact, but he was not upset by it. She took what he brought, and did not fight him. For once, she did not fight, and that brought him great relief.

After some time Kagome finally brought herself to the edge of the pool, near Sesshomau.

"I am finished." She said, her voice low and sad.

"Hn."

He brought her back to the home quickly and had set her in front of the fireplace. Sesshomaru had shuffled behind her, moving things here and there, but she did nothing but look forward into the fire. It was when he finally stopped moving behind her she had decided to speak.

"So what happens now? Do you just fuck me when you get the urge until I die? Or you do?" She whispered the last part.

He came behind her, "For now, this Sesshomaru has no incline to "fuck" you, nor will he die before you."

"Now, you dress and you shall travel to the Gardens of the West for your title ceremony."

She turned from the fire now, looking around the home. He had moved the furniture back to where it "should" be and on the table was an elaborate kimono. She stood and walked towards the garment, resting her hand upon it.

She was dumbstruck. It was beautiful. Was… was… was he trying to bribe her? To make her forget the pain?

"I can't accept this." Tears brimmed her eyes. "I will not be bought like some… some…"

"Some escort?" Sesshomaru finished. He came behind her and lifted the garment, showcasing the cherry blossom pattern, one that matched the silk scarf from earlier.

"Yes, like some escort." Kagome gritted.

"Miko, this contract provides benefits. Take them. Or don't. However, you will wear this to court. This Sesshomaru will not be embarrassed."

He reached and grabbed her shoulder, digging his nails in slightly. "You will be subject to further punishment if you do not take head."

Tears brimmed, but never fell. Begrudgingly, she took the kimono from his hands.

"Very well."