A/N: I have recently gotten into a new TV series. My aunt got me into watching BBC's Robin Hood, which, if you like medieval stuff, hot egotistical guys saving the day, while trying to woo their lady who only pretends not to like it, you'd love it. They did it very well done, and I so cannot wait for the next season in the fall.

If you like PoHH, then go watch it, since Robin and Marian seem to have ended up in Kagome and Inuyasha's situation at the moment, which promises a great ending when they finally get together. (Come on, it's BBC, of COURSE they're going to get together.)

And to KH II, I beat it easily, though the Sepiroth battle was hard. It always is, and is always won by pure luck. Now, I have to finish Chain of Memories, so I can say I've played and beaten all games.

(Oh, you're gonna like this chapter, methinks, but unfortunately, the story doesn't end here. Sorry, but there's more angst to come.)

Chapter 27: Sanctuary

Kagome stood on her balcony, resting her hands on the rail, looking out towards the city with sad eyes. There was only one thing she would be looking at right now in this state; the prison. Tears formed in her eyes as she kept them towards the window she knew was Inuyasha's, having a feeling he was looking out towards her as well.

Inuyasha, the man she loved, and had loved for a long time.

She knew now she had denied this in her heart for so long to protect it from sorrow, but now, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered now that Inuyasha would be leaving that very night, and she would never see him again. Sorrow for loving him didn't matter, not when compared to a lifetime of loneliness, trapped with Lord Naraku as a husband.

So this was it then, how her life would turn out. She would marry the man she didn't love, while she never saw the man she loved ever again. How ironic, that it would end just like the princess in that silly story she wrote so long ago, but perhaps, it was only befitting. She was granted the one wish in her life; to love and be loved. Unfortunately, it was a love lost, with a miserable life behind it.

Despite all that, Kagome couldn't help but be thankful that she had loved Inuyasha, and been loved in return. Those wonderful times with him would be a memory she would treasure throughout all her days, no matter what came.

Those memories, deep in her heart, would be her sanctuary, to disappear in dream when her life became too difficult—too much to handle. She could close her eyes, and go back to those blissful days she spent with Inuyasha, lost in a waking dream.

Today was the last day I will ever see him, she kept the tears just barely at bay. I shall never see him again…

"My lady," Kagome heard the voice of Hannah speak, walking out on the balcony. "You must come inside…it is late, and it is a big day tomorrow."

"It is," she agreed, her eyes focused on the prison so far away. "It is the day of Lord Naraku's triumph over everything I ever wanted."

Hannah put her hand over Kagome's arm, leading her back into her rooms. "My Lady, there is nothing you can do. Lord Naraku shall marry you on the morrow. But perhaps, once you put him in good graces, you may beg for that knight's life—"

"Oh, that's just what he'd want, isn't it? Me to plead him to spare Inuyasha's life, in exchange for anything he desires. To know that he has be begging and completely under his control, helpless." Kagome would never lower herself to such, not to him, and if Inuyasha's plan tonight succeeded, she would never have to.

Hannah sighed, knowing the stress her mistress suffered under now, and wishing it wasn't so. "My Lady…I know that you will suffer in the coming years, but why suffer more by letting the knight go like this? Isn't it worth a bit of humiliation to save his life, and…and perhaps even prove your love," she whispered softly, knowing that it was the first time she told her mistress that she knew.

Kagome turned away, walking slowly back into her bedroom, her hands clenched at her sides in inner pain. "It would have been better if I could have proved my love by staying with him beforehand, and not have gotten us into this mess." Her voice sounded so flat and dead now; the voice of a woman resigned to her fate.

She sat on the bed, her hands folded in her lap, with a blank look on her face. This was it, how her life was to be forevermore. Tonight was her last night as a single woman…her last night to love Inuyasha with all her heart before it became something to be hidden in the shadows, miserable.

Concerned, Hannah put a hand over her mistress's. "My Lady please, get some sleep. You mustn't stay awake all night and worry. What will come will come in time, but for now, there is nothing to be done."

Slowly, Kagome's eyes fell as she nodded. "You are right…there is nothing I can do at the moment. Just…wait for dawn."

"I will come and see you then," her maid told her. "To make sure you are well." Hannah began turning to leave her, but Kagome caught her with a statement before she could fully leave.

"Hannah, please…don't wake me at dawn. I am sure I will be up long before then. I have no need of your services to get me ready, either. I can make myself presentable on my own…and I would prefer it."

This odd statement caused Hannah to raise an eyebrow, but she agreed nonetheless. "As you wish, My Lady. I shall stay in the sitting room tonight if you need me."

"Thank you, Hannah." With that, Kagome's maid left her alone…feeling terribly lonely with her loss. But, it would be something else to get used to.

As her candle flickered in the dark of the night, she made no move to sleep as she rested her head in her hands, pain of a lost love eating away at her heart.

The torches burned low at the city prison as the dirty, unshaven guard walked up the tall steps towards the higher security prisoners. "It should have been my night off," he muttered under his iron helmet, his breath misting the inner sides of the helmet. "But the master at arms had to order everyone on alert for that hanyou…" As he spoke, he carried a wooden tray, with a cup of murky water and a slice of moldy bread. For a prisoner surely to be sentenced to death on the morn, he would be awake all night, and require food.

And no one had any doubt in their mind that the courts would find the hanyou guilty, whether he committed the crimes or not. All the guards in the prison were talking about how the crown princess herself had come in disguise just to see him, and she returned unharmed, so of course, he couldn't be all that bad. But Lord Naraku had accused the man, and he had the highest standing in the kingdom, next to the princess. And that was soon to change. It didn't matter about evidence, only about who it was that was the accuser these days.

Stopping by the large wooden door that led to the hanyou's cell, the guard knocked on the door. "A little midnight snack for ye," the guard said gruffly, expecting the food slot to be opened at the bottom of the door by a hungry man expecting food. But nothing happened. Perhaps he was asleep and didn't hear him? The guard knocked harder. "Hey, you awake in there?" he yelled loud enough so that other prisoners woke up and grumbled. Once again, he received nothing in response.

Of course, he didn't care, but when a prisoner didn't answer, that usually meant they were sick or dead. "They don't pay me enough for this job," the guard muttered to himself once more, fumbling with the heavy circle of keys attached to his belt. He found the proper one, and fitted it in, turning the lock with a click. "Answer when I call for you!" he ordered, pushing the door open.

The guard didn't get in a breath when an angry hanyou tackled him and shoved him out of the way, knocking him against the wall with a loud thump. After a second, the guard got to his feet, pulling out his sword, but hanyou reflexes were quicker. A strong fist punched the guard square in the face, breaking his nose. A second later, Inuyasha bolted down the hallway.

Inuyasha hadn't killed the guard, so the alarm went up quickly. "Escape! Escaped prisoner on the second level!" Good, that was how he wanted it. A good fight would help his frustration. The guards didn't leave him waiting as they appeared seconds later with the clang of armor.

Crouching in a battle stance, he growled as man after man surrounded, pointing their pikes at him. "Give it up, hanyou," the captain of the guards ordered, pointing a sword at his throat. "We have you surrounded."

To his surprise, the hanyou merely chuckled low, amusement lighting his amber eyes. "If you think you puny humans can stop me, then you'll be disappointed." His arm flew out to strike the two men closest to him, sending them flying into stone wall.

"Seize him!" the captain roared, and dozens of men rushed him at once. Adrenaline pumped in Inuyasha's ears as he fought each body coming towards him. But there were more guards on duty tonight, and despite the men going down, more kept coming. Seizing a man's spear, he swung it around him, knocking the close men away. He jumped high up to get out of the cluttered circle of men, landing many yards away.

Holding the empty metal sheath up in the air, Inuyasha yelled, "Tessaiga! Come to me!" Nothing happened for a moment, and the men at arms charged, but soon were men with screams of shock and terror as a rusty sword that had been locked in the captain's office flew from the sky, to land neatly in the hanyou's hand, transforming to its true form in an instant.

A cocky grin lit Inuyasha's face as the guards began backing up in terror, the dim light echoing their fear. "Now," he snickered slowly, "Who wants to take me on?"

There was a moment's pause before the captain yelled, "Get him!" No man wanted to die, but no man wanted to disobey their captain, either. The (now smaller) crowd of guards rushed him, and Inuyasha met them with the same force. In the fight, he jumped back into the air, the blade of Tessaiga catching on a lantern hanging from a hook, sending it flying. The lantern crashed to the ground, causing flame to sprout up from the floor.

In minutes, the whole prison was ablaze, the fires being reflected across the faces of the sweat-soaked guards, still attempting to stop the hanyou from escaping. The prison lit up like a beacon, sending plumes of smoke far up into the dark night.

"The prison is on fire!" men from the palace shouted, calling for reinforcements to gather more buckets to put out the flames. "Fire at the prison!"

People were running out of their rooms in confusion, staring towards the city in shock at the scene. "This is awful," women gossiped as they got out of beds, meeting their friends to talk. "Do you think they got the men out all right?" "How terrible." "What a foreboding omen, to happen the night before the princess's wedding."

The princess herself still sat in her room, but now, she kept her eyes fixed upon the orange and red fires far away in the city. Fear and shock filled her as her thoughts flew instantly to Inuyasha. Inuyasha…was this part of your plan? Was it a mistake? Did you get out all right, or are you…?

"Inuyasha…" she whispered, looking away and trembling in fear for him. "What now?"

What if he didn't get out all right? What if they captured him? What if he's dead? What if he can't get out of the building? What if…?

Her worry made her turn sharply to look back out the window, her eyes fixed on the prison. Yes, some of the fires were dying down now, but…Inuyasha, was he all right? She had to know. Even if it meant marching down to the city in her sleeping clothes, she had to know.

Please, God…let Inuyasha be all right!

As if her prayer was answered, a second later, she could have sworn she saw a flash of silver dart out from one of the smaller prison windows. Silver…could that mean…Inuyasha? Looking closely, she saw it was a mixture of silver and crimson. He wore a red shirt when he was arrested… Her heart instantly swelled with relief. He is all right!

What now? Inuyasha was all right and so far, uncaptured, so now he would go to the Midlands, wouldn't he? He would escape to his childhood home and their sanctuary, leaving her behind to marry Lord Naraku. It was what she had promised, what was expected of her, after all.

But…she looked down at the stone floor. She hated Lord Naraku, any marriage made with him would be a disaster. She had been happy, for a time, with Inuyasha in the Midlands. She didn't need this noble life at all, not when she could live simply. And there was one thing, one thing that she had to do before she never saw Inuyasha again; tell him her heart had finally decided, and that she knew now she loved him with all her heart.

Looking back up at the prison, Kagome's brown eyes were no longer tear filled and weak. Now, they were filled with sharp determination. For once, in a very long time, she knew what her heart wanted. She knew what to do, and nothing was going to stop her.

Hannah, who hadn't heard the shouts from the prison was still asleep in the sitting room, lying parallel to the door. But, her quick ears heard the small click when Kagome opened it, causing her to stir and gasp. "My Lady!" she gasped as she stood up, shocked to see her mistress looking so different. Now, Kagome was dressed once more in the simple country dress she had picked up in the Midlands, with a long, black hooded cape over it, as a simple disguise. When pulled shut, the cape hid her outfit entirely. "My Lady…" she repeated, seeing the fircely determined look in the princess's eyes. "What are you doing?"

Kagome took a moment to respond, sad that she would have to leave this loyal girl behind. "Please forgive me, Hannah," she began in a small voice. "I never meant for it to come to this…but I have no choice anymore."

Standing up slowly, Hannah asked, "My Lady…what on earth do you mean?"

When she spoke, her voice was no longer that of a woman depressed. Now, she spoke as a strong, self-assured woman. "I can no longer stand beside and let my life be driven by others…others who certainly don't wish for my happiness. This is something I must do, for my happiness."

By her clothes, Hannah knew what her mistress was going to attempt. "My Lady…are you certain this is the right option? Leaving everything here behind for—"

"Hannah," Kagome silenced her with a soft voice. "I love him. I love him so much that I know I will not live long without him. I would die being married to Naraku and not him. At least now, I will be happy, the thing I realize now was the only thing I ever wanted in life. If it's a choice between this, and being happy, then I will take my happiness."

Hannah didn't speak, but merely lowered her head and nodded. It was true, her mistress had never been fully happy. Who was she to stand in the way when she finally looked like she would get from life what she wanted? "God bless you, My Lady," she replied softly.

"Kagome," the princess corrected. "I will live as a common woman, princess no more. My dream from childhood." She turned, to exit the room, and hurry down to the city, but she paused a moment before the door. "And Hannah…" she turned back to her former servant, "Please, tell no one. They will find out soon enough, but I need to stall them as long as I can."

"Of course…My Lady—Kagome."

Kagome smiled one last time at the one servant she was going to miss, before pulling the hood of her cloak over her head and leaving her rooms, with a great hope in her heart to never return.

As Hannah watched her leave, she couldn't help but be happy. Her mistress was one of the women she had most admired, and now, for her to fight for her love like no other woman was risking to, she only admired her even more. As such, she got down on her knees, and prayed for her happiness of the one woman who deserved it so much.

The cries of the cityfolk still rang in the air as guardsmen from all over the city and the palace attempted to put out the fires. With them shouting and running all over the place, Inuyasha found it amazingly simple to hide undetected in the city stables. Thanks to that unexpected fire, his escape would be easy; with everyone so focused on the blaze, no one would notice a fully armored knight riding off towards the west.

He found a sturdy horse in the stables to steal, and some spare chain mail and a few assorted pieces of armor to cover himself with, for a perfect disguise. Glancing back out and making sure no one was looking, the hanyou folded his long hair up and shoved the steel helmet on his head, cursing the fact that his ears were crushed inside it.

Just as he turned around to get up on the horse he stole, Inuyasha's muffled—yet still sensitive—ears picked up the sound of someone coming into the stables. He whirled around sharply, seeing a figure covered in a black cloak, outlined by the orange light of the fires. His heart began to race. Who was this person, and why did they stand there like they knew him?

Inuyasha stood, almost traumatized, as the figure stepped closer. For some reason, he could not draw Tessaiga and threaten them. He could only stand, and watch, as if out of a dream, they spoke softly, "Inuyasha…"

A woman's voice. And as two hands reached up to draw the hood back, a familiar, and beautiful scent caught his nose. He almost didn't believe it as the hood fell, revealing that beautiful black hair and brown eyes that he knew so well…that face that haunted his dreams.

He was so shocked that for a moment, he couldn't speak. "K-Kagome," he stammered, taking off the helmet to reveal his face and let his silver hair fall over his shoulders once more. "What are you…what are you doing here? How did you know it was me?" He managed to cook up some anger at that. She had come all the way to the dangerous city just for him?

She answered his second question first. "I saw a flash of silver jump in here," she explained simply, glancing up at his distinctive hair. "And when I came in, I saw your sword hilt…no man around here carries a sword made like that." She paused a moment. "And as to your second question, I came because I had to."

"Had to?" he repeated, his eyes widening. "You're an idiot, then! You were safer in the castle, not here with me! What if…what if something happens to you? You've got to go back—"

Kagome made a small growl of her own at his statement. She was sick and tired of hearing everyone say that to her! "No, I won't go back! I won't go back to that Hell! I'm never going back!"

"Then where are you planning to do?" he answered back, in the same angry tone.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going with you!" she bellowed in his ear, but despite it all, her eyes still sparkled with love for him.

The hanyou was caught off guard for her statement. But after a moment, he shook his head. "No…you can't…you can't go with me."

"Why not?" she demanded at once.

He wasted not a moment in his explanation. "Because it's too dangerous! If I get caught, then what will happen to you?"

"I don't care anymore! I can't stand the wreck my life has become and I am never going back!"

Inuyasha vented his frustration by yelling, "Spoiled princess!"

"Infuriating knight!"

They glared at each other for a moment, but soon, their anger faded after their terrible separation. "Kagome…why do you want to come with me?"

This was it, the moment she had waited for. The one chance to prove it. And even though fear licked her heart for the moment of truth, she didn't back down. With a deep breath, she spoke, "Because, Inuyasha…" She reached up, and gently touched his cheek, smiling. "I love you."

Despite the shouts, and the sounds of other small buildings near the prison catching fire, Inuyasha was stunned. His heart had surely stopped within his chest, with all higher brain functions ceasing. I love you…her words echoed in his head, over and over until his heart felt it was going to burst in joy. She loves me…she loves me!

But, even though he felt the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her until the world ended, there was a problem. It was almost too unbelievable that a princess would love a knight, even if this knight was an impoverished prince by default. "Kagome…do you…do you really…?"

Her smile lit up his heart as she merely nodded, blushing slightly. But even so, Inuyasha felt it was too wrong in his heart. "Kagome, no you can't…I'm not…you shouldn't love me, Kagome…I'm just a knight, and you—"

"It doesn't matter what the world expects, Inuyasha!" she snapped, and he couldn't help but feel warmth in his heart as she defended her confession. "It doesn't matter who, or what you are, Inuyasha. My heart choose you, out of all the men in the world."

He couldn't help but accept it now, as his heart nearly sang in joy. The only person that had ever told him they loved him was his mother, and she didn't count. Though he had been angry minutes ago, a happy smile broke out on his face, as Kagome still spoke of him kindly.

"Out of all the men I've ever met…you are the most chivalrous, most kind, and most wonderful man I have ever known." She looked up at him with her beautiful brown eyes, and they locked with his, transmitting and amplifying their feelings in each other's soul.

Finally, Inuyasha could stand it no longer as his arms grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, her sanctuary, crushing her lips against his. She responded in kind, pulling him closer as they kissed in joyful reunion after being parted from their love for so long. They were in heaven as they kissed each other, reaffirming their feelings with actions. Kagome's arms tightened, pulling him closer and closer as if they would melt into one being…one heart...one soul...until…

A crash of a falling timber made them part, turning towards the source at the entrance of the stables, seeing sparks fly off the roof. "The stable roof's caught on fire!" a voice shouted, making Kagome and Inuyasha glance at each other in decision for a moment.

"Come on, we have to hurry," Inuyasha spoke, pulling the helmet back on to cover his face and hair. Without a second thought, he jumped on the horse, pulling her up and into his arms, holding her tightly as he took the reins. He cracked the reins and the horse took off, galloping past the screaming crowds and away from the burning prison, and their past.

As the countryside began to fly by much later, Kagome leaned back against his strong arms, smiling as they continued on in their escape, heading towards their promised land. At last, after so long, princess and knight would be happy, together, living in hiding in the Midlands.