Hello Everyone, and welcome to the second chapter of my brand new story, Dreaming of You. I'd like to thank the first two reviewers for this story, Ivana and Midnight Fire Princess. Thank you for your reviews! Anyway, on with the story!
Disclaimer: I still don't own any Inu-Yasha characters, besides the ones I place in the mix, i.e. Kura and Inari. So...yeah...oh well.
Chapter Two-A Princess in Disguise
Months passed, and Kagome and Inu-Yasha couldn't have been happier together. Inu-Yasha was seriously contemplating asking Kagome to marry him. He wanted her to be his princess, his wife, and the mother of his pups. He wanted to be able to stand beside her in public, without worry that someone would insult her. He had watched her grow from a cute little girl to an amazingly beautiful woman. She cared not that he was a hanyou, or that he was even royalty. She loved him for who he was inside of him, and for that, he would never leave her side. Inu-Yasha smiled as thoughts of her rose in his mind.
A movement in the corner of Inu-Yasha's eye made him turn quickly, ready to defend himself, only to find his cousin, Sango, standing with her arms crossed, and her eyes filled with merriment.
"What were you going to do, Inu? Kill me?" Sango smiled prettily, her brown eyes glittering with laughter, which made Inu-Yasha laugh heartily.
"I would never hurt you, cousin. Surely you know that." Sango nodded and laughed. All too quickly, her laughter died down, and she looked to her hanyou cousin thoughtfully.
"Why have you requested this rendezvous? Is anything the matter?" Inu-Yasha looked over Sango, thinking of how he should go about asking her his question, and grinned at her ridiculous choice of clothing. Sango was always a boyish type girl. She learned to fight, instead of learning needlecraft. She'd rather wear men's clothes than women's clothes, yet here she stood in a pink taffeta gown, complete with the puffed shoulder sleeves. Her thick sable hair was piled in an artful disarray of curls atop of her head. Inu-Yasha couldn't believe Sango had willingly become attired in that particular outfit, so before talking to her of his thoughts, he asked her about it.
"Sango, how many maids did it take to tackle you into that dreadful outfit? It wasn't willingly placed upon your body, was it?" Inu-Yasha made a mocking look of fright as he dodged a left hook to his jaw.
"Ah, Sango, that dress is making you entirely too slow! You have become such a...a...female!" He shuddered in mock disgust as Sango glared at him.
"Inu-Yasha, did you make me come all the way over here simply to jest about my clothing?" Sango tapped one delicate shoe upon the stone step she stood on. Inu-Yasha grinned and cleared his throat.
"Of course not, my dearest cousin. I came to discuss a matter of great import. Please, do sit down." Inu-Yasha led Sango to a white bench with silver arms and legs. Sango sat primly on the bench as Inu-Yasha sat ungentleman-like in the grass.
"I found her, Sango. I found my soul mate, the one I want to be with for the rest of my life. I can't explain what it is about her, but my cousin...she has taken my heart before I could even think of it. I wish for you to meet her. I know you'll like her, for she is much like you. She is kind, loving, intelligent-" Inu-Yasha's list of Kagome's grand qualities were cut short by a chortling Sango.
"Oh Inu! You are head over heels in love with this girl, aren't you." It wasn't a question, Sango knew simply by the way Inu-Yasha's amber gaze softened as he spoke of this mystery woman who had taken her cousin's heart. "So...spill it, Inu. Who is this woman?" Inu-Yasha grinned.
"He name is Kagome, and I wish for you to meet her as soon as possible. Let's say...in two hours. Oh, Sango, you'll love her as a sister." Before Sango could place a word in edgewise, Inu-Yasha was gone.
"Well...I suppose two hours it is, Inu. I'm glad you found your dream mate." Sango smiled softly as she left the spot to get ready for this meeting.
Fifteen minutes later, Inu-Yasha and Kagome were sitting on Inu-Yasha's bed, talking about the "meeting."
"I don't know, Yasha. What if your cousin doesn't like me? I am nobody in the eyes of your peers. What if-" Kagome was cut off by the pressure of Inu-Yasha's lips against her own.
"Kag, don't worry, Sango will love you. She is not like to snooty, boring nobility that nobody really likes. She is a great judge of character, and she will see the good and pureness in you. I have no doubts about that." Kagome smiled and settled down in Inu-Yasha's lap, waiting for Sango to arrive. All the while, Inu-Yasha muttered softly in her ear about how everything was going to be just fine, and how much he loved her.
Much too quickly for either of them, the two hours had passed and there was a soft knock on the door. Kagome stood as Inu-Yasha opened the door, giving passage to Sango. As Sango walked in, she immediately noticed Kagome and her eyes widened.
"You're a servant girl! I've noticed you around the castle quite often." Sango looked to Inu-Yasha.
"As much as I love you, cousin, I need for you to make youself scarce so I might speak more openly to...what is you're name again, dear? I am terrible with that sort of thing. I am certain Inu told me your name, but..." Kagome smiled softly at Sango's less-than-ladylike shrug as Inu-Yasha slipped from the room, knowing the two women would become close friends soon enough.
"My name is Kagome, my lady." Kagome went to curtsy, but Sango would have none of that.
"Kagome, you have stolen my cousin's heart. You will be a princess if Inu-Yasha gets the brains and guts to ask you. You need not curtsy before me. Now, come and sit with me. We have much to discuss, you and I." They shared an entirely connected feminine smile, and sat down on Inu-Yasha's bed.
Inu-Yasha walked mindlessly about the lawn of the castle, his mind coming up with insane thoughts of how things were going in his bedroom between his lover and his cousin. As he walked over a small bridge that passed over a mid-sized pond, his body was impacted by something hard, and decidedly human. Inu-Yasha looked up to find himself facing an enraged set of midnight blue eyes.
"What are you filling Kagome's head with! You're going to break her heart!" In complete confusion, Inu-Yasha could only stare at the angry male above him.
"Who are you, and what are you talking about?" The male stood up with pride.
"My name is Miroku, and I tend to every animal in this castle, from the chickens to the horses. I am Kagome's friend, and from what I can see, you are leading her to something intangible. You fill her head with thoughts that you love her and that you will always stand beside her, but you are the prince, and she is merely a servant. There is no way the two of you can remain together for much longer, so why are you continuing this charade!" From the way this Miroku fellow spoke, and his expressions, Inu-Yasha could tell he cared for Kagome as only a close friend or brother could.
"Miroku, I do not intend to harm Kagome in anyway. I do love her, and I plan on marrying her as soon as possible. I only wish for her to meet my cousin before I ask her formally. I do not care that she is a servant, or that I am a prince. We love each other in a way very few ever have. She is my soulmate, and I, hers. I will not bring her to any harm." Miroku's guard lowered slightly, yet he kept his intense blue gaze upon Inu-Yasha. Kagome was the only young female he did not try to be lecherous towards. She was the sister he never had, the friend her never thought, or hoped to acquire, and now that he had her, he didn't intend for some high and mighty prince to harm her.
Inu-Yasha watched a myriad of emotions cross the young man's face. He could tell this Miroku was having a hard time distinguishing whether or not Inu-Yasha meant what he said or not. "Miroku, I have Kagome's engagement ring with me if you need proof that I am committed to making her my bride." With those words, Inu-Yasha produced a large diamond ring from his waistcoat. The solitary stone winked at Miroku in the sunlight, making Miroku smile.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for caring for Kagome. She is a very special woman, very rare to find these days. Please, do not hurt her, or I will be forced to bring harm unto you." The two males smirked, and Miroku put out a hand to help the hanyou prince up.
"You want me to do WHAT!" Sango clasped a hand over Kagome's mouth, glancing around as if someone was going to be in the room, listening to their conversation. Slowly, she let her hand uncover Kagome's mouth.
"You need to take that tone down a notch, or else we will be discovered. Now, what I am suggesting isn't a horrible thing to do. Inu-Yasha will be surprised and absolutely stunned to see you, dressed in all the royal finery, at his birthday masquarade ball. The best thing about this is that since it is a masquarade, no one will know you were even there." A sly smirk slid over Sango's features.
"It is the perfect opportunity to see how to adjust to polite society." Kagome gnawed at her bottom lip worriedly.
"Sango...what about my chores? I am still but a maid. How can I possibly get out of doing my work in order to do this ridiculous plan you have cooked up in your mind?" Sango grinned like the cat that ate the canary.
"Worry not, my friend. Inu-Yasha told me about that nasty little girl you work with. Kuku, Kuru, Kooki, whatever her name is. The one that knocked you to your knees. Well anyway, I have decided that she will have to take over your work, for you are deathly ill, and she has been a very incompetent worker. Ah..revenge is sweet." They shared a hearty laugh, then Sango began to formulate more ideas, i.e. what Kagome will wear to the ball, and how to get it done without the other servants knowing.
"We are about the same size, are we not, Kagome?" Kagome looked between their two bodies, and nodded.
"We are, why?" Sango laughed at Kagome's confused expression.
"Oh, my dear, you have much to learn. The obvious answer to your question is that you need a dress for the ball, and since we are the same size, it will make everything all the more easier." Kagome understood exactly what Sango was saying and nodded enthusiastically.
"I know how to do hair in the latest fashion, so I could style both of our hair designs without the need of any other servants!" Sango nodded, and grinned.
"Inu was right, you are one smart woman!" They shared a good natured laugh, and began to speak more about the ball.
Inu-Yasha and Miroku walked quietly together, talking about Kagome, and life in general. Until meeting and talking more with the servants, or at least Miroku and Kagome, Inu-Yasha had no idea how very difficult it was to be a king's servant. With this knowledge, Inu-Yasha apologized for his disgusting lack of understanding of the working class, to which Miroku paid no heed.
"Inu-Yasha, there is no reason for you to chide yourself. You are a well-born male. You shouldn't have any ideas about how things work in the servant's lives. You are a prince, for god's sake. You shouldn't have even noticed Kagome, but you did. That is really saying something for you, Inu-Yasha, although I am loath to admit it. I must thank you again for loving Kagome as you do. She deserves that and more, my friend."
Inu-Yasha could only agree with the kind servant. Hw was appalled with the lack of respect, he was now noting, the servants got when they worked so hard to make everything work and look perfectly. Inu-Yasha swore there that he would do his damndest to set things on a better place for the workers of the castle.
There it is, Chapter Two. I am beginning to like this story, because all these ideas are popping into my head. I hope everyone is enjoying it as much as I am. As always, please R&R! Thanks!