A/N: I seem to enjoy naming my chapters after some of my favorite songs...If you know the song, it'll give an indication of what will happen in the chapter, I suppose.

This chapter is soooo late because I was gone all spring break, got back late Sunday night, and slept most of Monday, then decided it was time to try to type a chapter. And its ALWAYS the chapters I try to rush to get done that end up being the longest.

Yes, I went to New York, but I didn't see Wicked, because we couldn't get tickets (and WHY didn't anyone get them online months in advance, like I suggested?). It was fun, since I would like to live in NYC when I get older.

(You all hate me now, I'm sure. But am I the type to leave it like this?)

Chapter 26: Come What May

The princess had not come out of her chamber ever since the day before when her knight had been arrested. Because of her strange behavior, talk had gone through the palace like wildfire. Though it was treason, courtiers could not help but whisper about her pleading for the lowly knight…and how upset she seemed at the triumph of the man she was to marry over a insignificant hanyou.

Most talk was just in jest, after all. People knew that because of her big heart, Princess Kagome wouldn't care that Sir Inuyasha was a hanyou and befriend him. Most figured that she was upset at the loss of a good friend, and one who had protected her when she was lost in those violent Demon Lands. But there were some idle tongues that thought they had seen deeper into the situation, and spoke of other, unthinkable things.

However, it was all talk. Talk could ruin a woman's reputation, but unless there was something to constitute as proof, talk could not put a woman in prison. Which is why Lady Sango and Lord Miroku did nothing to stop it, for fear that opposition might solidify the thought in some minds.

And Kagome, who still lay abed even in noon, didn't care if people were whispering about her and Inuyasha behind her back. Not anymore…talk about their supposed affair could do nothing now, not when Inuyasha had already been hauled to the city prison for outrageous charges. Him, planning to betray her? Anyone who knew him would know he couldn't harm her even if he tried.

But Lord Naraku didn't care. Neither did the hundreds who condemned him because he was a hanyou. The courts wouldn't either, but merely blame him because it was Lord Naraku that had sent him to his death.

Death! Tears leaked from Kagome's eyes on to her pillow at the thought of that awful word. That was the punishment for treason against the crown. It didn't matter that she knew he was innocent. In the eyes of the law, he was a hanyou, and as a hanyou, he should be punished just for living.

But how could this be? How could they try to kill a wonderful man like Inuyasha? How could they try to take him away from her forever? Didn't anyone see that if he wasn't with her, she would die of a broken heart?

That was it, she had decided. Kagome had sworn to fight as long as she could, as long as Inuyasha was with her. But if they killed him, there was nothing left to live for. Only being miserable as Lord Naraku's wife. Just a consolation prize for winning the crown and the Shikon no Tama.

I am destined to be that princess in that stupid story I made up, long ago…Kagome thought, burying her face in the soft, downy pillow. My knight shall be killed, and I will die of sadness later.

Inuyasha and I…we were only meant to be the tragic lovers of minstrels' songs, nothing more…

Kagome didn't hear the door to her bedroom open, but she did hear Hannah's concerned voice, "My Lady, it is already past noon. You haven't eaten since yesterday. You must eat something."

The princess looked up at the bed to glance at her maid. Hannah looked the same as ever; still slightly plump with those deep emerald eyes and freckled face, her unruly brown hair hidden by a bonnet, though she looked more worried than ever about her mistress. Kagome supposed she looked a mess; still in her sleeping things, with her black hair a mess, and red and teary brown eyes. Now, the pain she had held for months was visible.

Shaking her head, Kagome glanced out the window, towards the dark shadow of the city prison. "No thank you, Hannah…I am not hungry."

"My lady, please…you know no one would want you to—"

"Yes…no one would want you to starve yourself, Your Highness," a sinister voice said from the doorway. Both Kagome and Hannah gasped as Lord Naraku, smirking slightly, stepped into the room.

While Kagome could merely stare and shake with rage and horror, Hannah was immediately there to protect her mistress. "Leave at once! My Lady is ill and not up to taking company! Especially not upsetting company like yourself in a private place such as this!"

Maroon eyes glared down in a threatening manner at the maid daring to block his objective. "I don't believe this is any concern of yours, maid. After all, Her Highness is my betrothed, and as her future husband, I am entitled to speak to her whenever I wish."

After what this man had done to harm her mistress, Hannah couldn't take it anymore. Forgetting propriety, Hannah shouted, "You rouge—!"

She was cut off as Naraku's strong hand slapped her hard enough to send the girl flying into a wall. Kagome screamed as her maid struggled to get up, "Hannah!", before glaring back at the man determined to ruin her life. "Damn you, you don't have a right to lay a hand on my servants, Naraku!"

"Your loudmouthed maid should have known her place," he spat, before turning back to grin at the princess. "I hoped I wouldn't have to barge in here to bid my bride a good day, but you seem to be such a slug-a-bed today."

Kagome was sitting up in her bed, but she didn't dare pull the covers up and hide herself from him now, not even to cover him seeing her in her shift, an improper view for any man. "Get out of here, Naraku!" she snarled, with more bravery than she felt.

Lord Naraku seemed to be restraining himself from laughing as he observed her, helpless and yet still trying to fight. "You shouldn't be so upset; after all, the wedding is tomorrow, and it doesn't do to have an angry bride."

"You dare joke about that now? You know very well why I am upset! You were the one that had Inuyasha arrested!"

Naraku scoffed, "Oh, but can you blame me, Your Highness? The man is a hanyou, after all…a danger to your safety. Besides, I know for a fact he was indeed after the jewel when he decided to enter that little tournament to win you."

"Liar!" she yelled, her brown eyes locking in hate. "You arrested him to get him out of the way…You must have been jealous about how he was always around me!" That last part Kagome had accused was only a guess; and by Naraku's actions, it was dead off.

Her betrothed merely laughed a chilling laugh that sent shivers up her spine at the thought. "Me? Jealous? I could never be jealous of a lowly, hanyou knight that likes to flit around noble skirts. If you believe jealousy is the reason for your, ah—friend's ruin, then you are sadly mistaken, Your Highness."

Kagome was stunned for a moment as he spoke. Well, it had been something that wasn't very founded, but all the same… "It doesn't matter what the reason, Lord Naraku. I can never forgive you for this. And," She tugged hard at her betrothal ring, trying to yank it off despite its tight hold. "I shall not marry you!"

Maroon eyes seemed to glow fiercely as Naraku began to laugh once more, dropping the kind charade he had held for weeks. "I am afraid that is out of the question, Your Highness. I believe we signed a contract that neither of us can get out of, not even if we wanted to."

"Not even if we wanted to?" she growled, wondering what he was getting at. "Are you saying that you were lying all this time and you never wanted to marry me?"

Naraku's voice was cold as he glared at her and spoke, "Don't flatter yourself, Your Highness. Did you think I spoke the truth through all those honeyed words? You must think highly of yourself if you thought I wanted to marry a woman that doesn't know when to hold her tongue and tries so very desperately to do the right thing all the time." Kagome could just stare as he insulted her, finishing with the final blow, "Besides, I have heard you described as the most beautiful woman in the land, but I believe your cousin Kikyou is far prettier."

Being compared to Kikyou made a flare of anger bubble in Kagome's heart, without her being able to help it. "Don't think you can compare me to Kikyou, when you've wronged her—!"

"Now, who is jealous, Your Highness?" Naraku chuckled. "Jealous because your precious Inuyasha loved her first, is that it?"

"Shut up!" Kagome roared, rage filling her at him daring to speak of Inuyasha after what he did to him. "I hate you!"

Nothing seemed to affect him as Naraku knew of his triumph over her. "I am so sorry to hear that. Nevertheless, by tomorrow, you will be my bride, whether we both like it or not. So, fair princess, farewell until tomorrow." With that, and a smirk on his face, Lord Naraku left her room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Kagome sat there, trembling in rage as she tried to control the hatred she felt for the man that was determined on making her life a misery, and the stupid decision she had made to marry him and ruin her life.

Hannah, now recovered from the blow to her head, came over to her mistress seeming on the brink of losing her wits. "My Lady?"

Now, her life would be like this…a husband who wished to make every moment of hers a misery for own pleasure…Inuyasha killed and gone from her life…all because of her stupid mistake…

With a cry of frustration, Kagome succeeded in pulling off the betrothal ring, with its stone shaped like a drop of blood, and, whirling around, hurling it out the open window. "Just leave me alone!" she snapped, sending Hannah scurrying away as she fell back down on the bed, letting the angry tears flow once more.

I made such a stupid mistake…Please forgive me, Inuyasha…It is my fault…all my fault that Naraku imprisoned you…

I just…I want to see him, one more time! Just once more…before tomorrow… Her eyes glanced back up at the prison, looking looming and dark even in the afternoon light, before all her tears stopped as inspiration hit her.

Wait a minute…perhaps…perhaps I can see him after all!

"My Lady…are you sure?" Hannah asked, staring at the outfit her mistress had procured from the depths of her wardrobe. It was the simple country dress she had worn in the Midlands, which she had hidden ever since she had come back to the Human Lands. It would be useful in her objective now.

"Yes, Hannah," Kagome spoke, throwing a small blue shall over her hair, to cover her hair. "This way, I won't be recognized when I go through the streets."

"I don't mean the outfit," corrected Hannah. "The city is dangerous, and you are planning to go out there all alone—"

Sighing, Kagome glanced out the window towards the dark prison, replying, "For him, Hannah, I would cross into Hell itself. A city is nothing." Her maid did not reply to her comment, but merely nodded. It was sad enough that when her mistress finally fell in love, she could never be with the man her heart had chosen. "Hannah, if anyone comes to the door, tell them I am asleep and do not wish to be disturbed."

"Yes, My Lady," her maid nodded, still looking worried. Kagome gave her a small smile, as if to assure her everything would be all right, before turning and exiting her room, keeping an eye out for anyone walking through the hallways.

But thankfully, no one was there. Everyone was probably at the pre-wedding banquet, which began at noon and would last until midnight. The perfect opportunity to sneak out of the castle and get back without anyone noticing. Kagome headed down back stairs she had discovered as a child that were of use to servants, which would suit her purpose. Anyone that saw her would think she was a lowly common girl, out for a stroll in the city. She passed by a few servants and maids who paid her no mind, just as she had predicted.

But as Kagome took the back way out of the kitchens, she did not go unrecognized for long. A man who was walking by instantly turned and gasped, "Your Highness?"

Her heart raced in fear of being found out and not getting to see Inuyasha, but her fears were calmed when she looked up and saw who this man was. "Oh, Sir Kouga…how nice to see you today."

The wolf demon glanced around the grounds, before grabbing the princess and pulling her into a more secluded corner. "What…the Hell are you doing?" he demanded. "Everyone is worried about you and here you are, sneaking out of the palace, in servants clothes no less—"

"I'm going to see Inuyasha!" she snapped, glaring at him. "And I don't give a damn what you think about it!"

That thought hit the wolf like a slap in the face. After a moment's pause, Kouga muttered, "Look, I know you want to see the mutt, but this…this is stupidity, Your Highness." He grabbed her arm like a child, leading her back towards the door, "Come on, just get back inside and—"

"Let go of me, damn it!" she yelled, wrenching free from his grasp. "I don't care what you think about it, Sir Kouga! It's not up to you to treat me like a child and scold me when I'm doing something I want more than anything! I have been through absolute misery for these past couple of weeks, and if you think you can stop me from seeing Inuyasha now, then you'll be greatly surprised!"

The intensity in her brown eyes reminded the wolf of the glare Inuyasha got in his when he was so determined, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for the woman he loved, yet never received her love in return. "Do you really…want to see Inuyasha that badly?"

A little surprised at his sudden change of mood, Kagome nodded, "Yes…it's my fault about what happened to him…I should apologize and…"

You love him, the wolf thought, his heart sinking in his chest at the thought. But, after a moment, he sighed, and held his hand out to her, "Come on then, I'll take you to him."

"You...you will?" her eyes lit up at the very thought. "You'll take me to Inuyasha?"

Even Sir Kouga couldn't help but smile slightly at the look of happiness and relief in her eyes. "Yeah, but you aren't leaving my sight, all right? It's a dangerous city out there, and the mutt would kill me if anything happened to you."

It had been a long and dangerous walk through the city to get to the prison, with Kouga leading the way and never taking his eyes off Kagome. Though his rival had won the heart of the princess, he was glad to help her like this even if it meant he would never be first in her heart. There was no trouble all through the dirty streets of the city, and even though Kagome saw some strange things that she would have never expected to see before, she showed no hint of fear or upset. She was strong now, as strong as she could ever be without Inuyasha.

But things did not go as planned when they reached the prison. "There are to be no visitors today," the guard at the gate announced, turning them away.

"Wait," Kagome begged, hoping this wouldn't be the final answer before it came to other measures. "Please, you have to let me in! I have to see him—"

"I don't care if you have to see him!" the irritated prison guard yelled in her face. "It was ordered that there are to be no visitors today, and one little chit isn't going to change that!"

"How dare you speak to her that way and try to deny her entrance!" Kouga growled, standing protectively in front of Kagome. "You don't even know who she is!"

"I don't care who she is, demon, but that woman is impeding me from my duty, and if she thinks she can waste another minute begging, than she has another thing—"

Kouga looked about ready to punch the man in the face, "You dare threaten her in front of me?"

He raised his fist, but Kagome, rolling her eyes, stepped in front of him before he had the chance to do any damage. Though she had not expected this from the prison guard, she had taken certain precautions beforehand in case of any trouble. "Please stop this, Sir Kouga, you are only making things worse…This man is only doing his job, and doing it admirably, but unfortunately," she turned back to the guard, who now raised an eyebrow at her behavior. "We shall have to disrupt his orders for a moment."

She took out a small bag filled with coins, learning long ago that it didn't hurt to always have a bribe on hand if need be. When she gave it to the guard, she allowed him to see her other precaution; the signet ring of the heir, with the symbol of her royal house etched into the silver. When the guard glanced at the ring, and back at her face, he snapped back instantly at the realization of his mistake.

"Your…Your Highness!" He stammered, while pocketing the money quickly. "Forgive me, but I did not recognize…I didn't know that you, of all people—"

"It is all right," she assured him, "You were following your orders, but I need to see someone inside the prison, please."

"Of course!" the guard said, motioning for another to open the gate. Kagome and Kouga followed the guard as he led them inside the dark building, shielded from any light from the outdoors. The heavy door shut behind her, and all of a sudden, Kagome felt the eerie feeling of being cut off from all that was light. The prison was dark, and damp, with filth covering the floor. She could hear rats scurrying about, and the air was thick with horrible smells that made her draw her shawl up about her nose.

The guard that had brought them in had his superior come over, who bowed low at his introduction to the princess. "Whom is it that you wish to see, Your Highness?"

She answered at once, "My friend, Sir Inuyasha."

The man gaped at her as if she was mad. "Sir Inuyasha? But that hanyou was accused of treason...of wanting to kill you; and here you are to deliver yourself into the enemy's grasp?"

Now, it was Kouga to speak up for her, "If you knew anything about that mutt, you'd know he'd never hurt her," he snarled, making Kagome silently thank him for coming to her aid. "Besides, I believe that Her Highness wished to see him despite what he was accused of, or should I report you as disobeying a royal command?"

Despite the fact that the guard did not like it, he knew that disobeying a royal command was treason in itself, something he certainly didn't want to commit now. "All right, but there will be a guard with you when you see him."

Once again, Kouga stepped in, "I will watch them, human. Even if that mutt tried something, he wouldn't be able to get past me."

The guards finally agreed, and started leading them into another, large and filthy chamber of the prison, towards Inuyasha's cell. Kagome and Kouga hung a little farther back, just enough so that they wouldn't be overheard when Kagome whispered to him, "Thank you…Sir Kouga…For all that you've helped me today."

The wolf paused for a moment to look at her, with such a thankful look in her brown eyes. But he turned away, blue eyes downcast as he shrugged her thanks off. "It is nothing. Merely my royal duty to you. Besides, think of it as my way of thanking the mutt for saving you a couple times before."

One of the men who guarded the prison lit a torch, and as they walked through the long room on the bottom floor, Kagome was hit heavy with the smell of drink. The torch illuminated a small part of the floor, but enough so that when she looked around, she could see dirty, unwashed and unshaven men slouched in small cells, some perking up when they spotted her.

Her step faltered as some of the men watched her, with staring, lust filled eyes. "It's the ground floor, where they throw drunkards and petty thieves," Kouga whispered, helping her on as she turned away, hiding her face deeper behind the shawl.

But, the men had already seen her presence. One drunk man stood up and whistled, hollering, "Lookie that! Some mighty fine trollop's been brought in!"

More and more turned to look at her as shouts of "Bring her in here!" and other profane statements were spoken. After a minute of enduring these shouts, the guards turned and yelled to the crowd, "Shut up you drunks, or you'll be in here for longer!" But it did nothing to quell the excitement of the crowd.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, they crossed through another wooden door, into a small stairway. "Forgive us for that," the guardsman carrying the torch spoke. "But they only way up was through there…an intent to shame the prisoner, you understand."

"I understand," she nodded. After all, she had heard far worse muttered about her through the whispers of idle servants.

The stairwell was tiny, but there were small slits for windows, enough to illuminate the path without a torch. And so they climbed, up and up the winding stairs. Looking out one of the small slits, Kagome could see the city from high up, and the palace…which, she mused, looked much different when looking from afar. It in itself, was tall, and menacing, much like the prison she was in now.

The stairway ended in another long hall, lined with heavy wooden doors. It was the place were higher security prisoners were held. Kagome's heart beat faster within her chest. Inuyasha was behind one of these doors, suffering.

Unlike the room they had passed through downstairs, this place was quiet, without a sound to be heard. All prisoners here had a reason to be quiet. They had accepted their fate. Kagome pulled the shawl tighter around her as a shiver went up her spine.

Suddenly, the guards stopped in front of a door. It had to be where Inuyasha was. Silently, the guards unlocked the door, but did not open it. Heart racing in her chest, Kagome slowly walked towards the door, pausing a moment. Then with one trembling hand, she pushed open the door.

The room was small, with its stone walls cramping the space even further. A wooden bed jutted out from the wall, next to a small, horizontal slit to allow a little light. That was where her beloved hanyou sat, looking out the small window towards the city. When he heard the noise of the opening door, he turned, and his amber eyes widened in shock upon seeing her there.

She appeared to him like in a dream, dressed in that revealing blouse, vest and skirt she wore in the Midlands, the shawl around her head dropping to expose her black hair. Seeing her like this, and unsure if it was real, he murmured, "Kagome…"

Kagome stepped a little bit further into the room, all the words she wanted to say caught in her throat. She didn't even notice when Kouga pushed the guards away, to shut the door, leaving them alone. Even though it had only been yesterday since he was arrested, it seemed like a thousand years had gone by.

Suddenly, the silence broke as Kagome felt all control slip as she rushed into his arms, crying, "Inuyasha!" He held her for a moment in a small embrace, content at smelling her wonderful scent once again.

"Kagome…" he repeated her name softly, pulling away to look into her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

She paused for a moment before replying, "I had to see you, Inuyasha…I was so worried, and I just wanted to see you again, before…"

Before the wedding, he mentally finished. "But how did you get here? The city is dangerous, Kagome! If you walked all the way here for—"

"Sir Kouga took me, Inuyasha," she muttered, the spell of seeing each other again broken by his worries. "Once he found me sneaking out of the palace, he wouldn't let me out of his sight."

"The wolf?" Suddenly, Inuyasha had a lot more respect for him than he previously had, if he had brought Kagome to him and made sure she was safe. Even so, she had done all this for nothing. "You didn't need to put yourself in danger on my account Kagome…I'm fine."

"No you're not!" she yelled, and it was then the hanyou noticed the small tears in the corner of her eyes. "It was my fault you were brought here! Because I angered Lord Naraku…I'm so sorry, Inuyasha!"

Sighing, he pulled the princess closer in his arms as they both sat on the wooden plank. "It wasn't your fault Kagome, he wanted me out of the way, simple as that."

"Still…" The tears faded in his arms, at the feeling of comfort in his embrace. "I won't let this get any worse…I'll find a way to get you released immediately."

But he shook his head. "Kagome, there is no way. Naraku made sure of that. Because I'm a hanyou, it's my—and your—word against his. And they're definitely going to chose his. "

"But you're innocent!" she countered, looking even more afraid. "They can't do this!"

He closed his eyes for a moment, "You know it doesn't matter if I'm innocent or not, Kagome…Naraku wants me out of the way, and he will get his wish. To them, I'm just a lowly hanyou, not supposed to exist anyway. In the Human Lands, I have no rights as a hanyou, and they will try me for what they wish."

"But its absurd!" she yelled, a fiery intensity glaring in her eyes. "Anyone who knows you knows it's stupid to think that you would betray me and try to take the Shikon no Tama!"

At her statement, Inuyasha suddenly grew quiet. He turned away for a moment, debating with himself. Perhaps…it was time to tell her the truth. "The initial reason I went to that tournament in the first place was to win and steal the Shikon no Tama from you, to become a full demon."

Kagome couldn't help but gasp at the knowledge. What? Inuyasha had been planning to betray her at first? He was really going to steal the Shikon no Tama after all? "Inuyasha…"

He turned around sharply, correcting, "But that was before I knew you, Kagome! Before I learned what a wonderful person you are and that time in the Midlands…when…" he stopped, not wanting to reveal any more…not when she would be married to another man on the morrow.

Glancing away, Kagome asked, "That time when I showed you the Shikon no Tama…"

"That was when I made the promise to myself to never think of it again, and only to protect you because it was what I wanted in my heart," he finished, his eyes fierce in his decision.

After a moment's silence, she turned back to him and spoke, "Even if that was your original motive, you never wanted to kill me, right?" He shook his head, and she believed him. "They still can't just condemn you when you never made a move on this plan…its against all laws of the land."

"It doesn't matter," he said, standing up, glancing back out the window. "I won't let them have their triumph—I won't let them kill me anyways."

"What? But…how?" she stood up with him, looking up into his eyes, wishing that they were back in their beloved Midlands, not here in this prison with their lives so entangled with so many problems.

When Inuyasha replied, he spoke in a whisper, "I'm planning on running away—tonight. I can escape here and hide, never to be heard from again." He kept quiet about his other motive for leaving so abruptly—so he wouldn't have to hear the church bells in the morning when Kagome was pronounced the wife of another man.

Fear filled Kagome's heart. "Escape? But Inuyasha…you'll be killed! If they catch you, then—!"

"Those guards have forgotten something crucial—a hanyou's strength. I can fight my way out of here easily."

Tears now filled her eyes once more. Inuyasha was planning on leaving her once more, never to be seen again. "But…you'll be hurt…"

She was crying, again. And whenever she cried, Inuyasha had to do something to make it right. He pulled her into his arms, and felt hers grasp on to him, as if to hold him there for all eternity. "Don't worry about me, Kagome…I'll run away to the Midlands, and I'll be safe there, without Naraku breathing down my neck. And if that bastard does come, then—" He paused when he noticed Kagome trembling at the mention of Naraku. On hindsight, perhaps he shouldn't have referred to her future husband that way. "Sorry,"

She shook her head, "No, it's all right. He is vile, and I hate him too. I wish now that I had known…and hadn't made such a stupid mistake to agree to marry him."

You're not the only one who wishes that… Inuyasha glanced down at her, and for one wild moment, he wanted to ask her to come with him as he escaped, so they could both live in the Midlands together, with simple lives they had dreamed of, with no Naraku to hinder them. But now, more than ever, he remembered his place. Even though he loved her, Kagome was a princess, and it was her duty to marry well…leaving him out of the picture, forever. Just, he was glad that he had been able to meet this wonderful, beautiful woman in his life, and to have had her heart, for however short the duration.

As Kagome held to him, she wished there was some way she could beg him to stay, or some way they could be together, with him by her side, but it was not to be. Inuyasha would be killed if he stayed here, and Naraku would always be after him if he escaped. Though it pained her to let him go, it was the right thing, for his safety. "Inuyasha…promise me you'll be safe."

"I will," he buried his nose in her hair, memorizing its scent. "Kagome…you've…I've…I…" Damn it all, why couldn't he say it, even when he never was going to see her again? "You've been a good friend."

She pulled away for a moment, to look up, with a slightly disappointed look in her eyes. "You were a good friend too, Inuyasha…the truest one I've ever known."

There was a small rapping on the door—that was Kouga, signaling their time was up. For a minute, their eyes locked, wanting some kind of memorable goodbye. Inuyasha took the initiative by dropping on one knee, and taking her hand gently, kissing it lightly, like he did so many times before. Our love was never meant to be, just like the knight and the princess of the story. This is our final goodbye. Just a princess and her knight, all we could have ever been.

When he rose, he could see the pain in her eyes as she turned away, regretfully leaving him behind to rejoin Kouga, and go back to her life, now without him. Inuyasha watched her leave for as long as he could, looking out his small window to watch her form cross the streets, his heart mourning for her loss already.

But, as Kagome neared the palace, leaving him behind, she couldn't help but feel the tears well up inside. It hurt so much, to know she would never see him again, and never feel so loved in another mans arms as she was in his. Feeling his loss hit her, and emotion she had tried to hide from the world and herself broke free.

More tears rolled down her face, hidden by the shawl. Of course she had known, but had never wanted to admit, to protect her heart from pain, but now, when the pain was out, there was no more hiding…no more. Inuyasha would be the one, and only for her…there would never be another.

"Oh God," she whispered, her hand over her racing heart as her pace slowed. "I love him…" she murmured slowly, tears still spilling down her cheeks, the pain hitting her at not fully understanding the true depth of her feelings before this mess. "I love him…"

She was quiet, so that no one else on the street heard her realization. But Kouga, who had been walking next to her paused, turning slightly to see her tears. He gave a heartfelt sigh, and continued to walk on, knowing without a doubt he had lost her to his rival.

But, for Kagome's sake, he wished that things for them had not ended this way.

If only there was some hope…but now, all hope was lost. Swept away by Naraku's trap.

The princess and the knight would be separated on the morning, to lead separate, miserable lives, and never to meet again.