Okay I am trying to make a habit of answering all the reviews I get to show my appreciation. Here is this batch.

SayaHaji1648- Thank you so much. I'm glad you like it!

asdf- Thanks for the review! Here's the next chapter.

Kyuthe- Thank you so much. You have no idea how much your praise means to me. I recommend reading "Nineteen Years" if you're looking to read my stories in the Inuyasha category. I recently finished it and am working on the sequel now. I am so glad you are enjoying my writing.

moonlightshadow123- Thanks for the review. Yeah the first chapter was short. I was just testing the waters and seeing what kind of response I would get. I am a Sess/Kag fanatic now even though I will always respect the sacred Inu/Kag. If you haven't already, you should check out my story "Nineteen Years." It's all about those two.

takeshi-ai- Thanks for the review. Glad you liked the story.

serasvictoria666- Thank you. Here's more for you to read.

DeathRose105- Thanks! You are one faithful reviewer and I so appreciate it.

miss quirky bookworm- Yes, but how will he get her? Here is chapter 2, thanks for the review.

PinkSlytherin- There is definite garden action is this chapter. The rest of Kagome's talents will be revealed in due time. Glad you like it and thank you for reviewing.

Babi Abe- Thanks for reviewing. A lady in waiting in kind of just what it sounds like. It's a lady, usually from a noble family, who comes to a palace in her teen years to wait on the queen or princess.

Chapter 2

Kagome quickly unpacked her mistresses bags and then her own. Princess Yukami was famed as one of the most beautiful women in the land and was always being invited to the kingdoms of princes who were searching for wives or mates. As it was Kagome had gotten very good at unpacking for them both and then exploring the castles that they stayed at.

Now, she moved around the large room that she had been given. Everything was ornately furnished and extravagant. Especially the large bed that took up a good portion of the floor space. Kagome walked over to the large windows that took up an entire wall and pushed them open. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the splendor around her.

The windows opened to a balcony that over looked a vast garden. Every flower imaginable was in full bloom and the colors were dazzling. In the center was a pond filled with multicolored fish and lilies. Stone benches surrounded the pond, so that people could sit and enjoy the garden. Kagome had never seen anything more breathtaking in all her life. She made sure that all her duties were taken care of and then made her way down the stairs from the balcony to the garden below.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Inuyasha sighed. Yet another beautiful princess had come to try and catch Sesshomaru's eye. He didn't see why their father insisted upon having these women come all the way here just so they could be ignored. What made it worse was the whole inuyoukai clan was counting on the prince to keep the royal line going. "Idiots." the hanyou muttered under his breath.

He was high in one of the many trees that looked over the elaborate garden that sat on the eastern side of the stronghold. Inuyasha was the younger of King InuTaisho's sons. His mother had been a human, making him a hanyou. He looked much like his father and elder brother with long slivery white hair and amber eyes. As proof of his half human heritage, there were fuzzy white dog ears atop his head.

As he lay in the tree basking in the peace, a delicate smell wafted to his sensitive nose. It was one that he had smelled before, a while ago, and that intrigued the hanyou. He jumped down from his perch and followed the scent. It lead him to the clearing where the pond was located. There was a lovely young woman walking through the flowers there, her face upturned to the sun.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha exclaimed in disbelief. He hadn't seen Princess Yukami's lady in waiting since she was a young girl and he had been on patrol through the lands that called the West friend. Now she stood before him, as lovely as his father was strong.

At the hanyou's exclamation, warn brown eyes flicked to his face and Kagome's mouth fell open. "Inuyasha? What in the world are you doing here?"

"I live here when I'm not off on patrols." at Kagome's blank look, the hanyou clarified. "I'm the king's other son. The one no one knows about."

"You're a prince!?" The girl screeched.

Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head. "Will you stop yelling?" he shouted. "I'm not a prince. My mother wasn't mated to my old man when I was born. The most the king could give me was the title of lord and Captain of the Guard."

"Well that's still something." Kagome said brightly. "It seems like you're doing more than your brother anyway."

"Whatever." the hanyou grumbled. "What are you even doing here?"

"I serve as lady in waiting to Princess Yukami. She's being considered as a mate for Prince Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha sighed. "Sure she is. Look, don't get your hopes up about this princess and my brother. There've been more women here than I can count. He hasn't chosen any of them. Hell, he barely looks at them."

Kagome shrugged. "Maybe he's waiting for someone special. There is nothing wrong with that."

Inuyasha lifted his nose and sniffed the air. "Well you can ask him if you want. The bastard's here."

The young woman turned in time to see Sesshomaru gliding towards them, the sunlight rippling through his long silver hair. His cold golden eyes traveled over Kagome's face and lingered there until he drew even with her and Inuyasha.

A flush stained the Kagome's cheeks as she dipped the prince a curtsey. "Your Highness."

Sesshomaru gave her a curt nod and turned to his brother. "What are you doing in my mother's garden, little brother?"

"Minding my own business." Inuyasha snapped. "But don't worry. I am so out of here."

"Excellent. Do not let me stop you."

"You couldn't if you wanted to."

"Do not think to challenge me, Inuyasha. It will be your downfall."

"Feh, whatever." the hanyou flipped his hand in farewell to Kagome and leapt away through the trees.

Sesshomaru gave a satisfied smirk and then looked back to Kagome. She returned his look and fidgeted nervously.

Hmm. The prince mused. She is not afraid of me, simply nervous. "Why are you nervous, human?" he asked aloud.

"Maybe because you're staring at me." Kagome retorted. She reddened and curtsied again. "Forgive me. Your Highness."

The youkai waved her impudence and apology away. "Are you enjoying the garden, human?"

"First of all, my name is Kagome. Second, yes this is a beautiful garden. You said it was your mother's?"

"Yes. She had it planted when she first moved here after mating my father."

"Where is she?" Kagome wanted to know. "If all this were mine, I'd be out here in every spare moment."

"The dead do not tend to frequent gardens, Lady Kagome."

"Oh." the girl said quietly. "I'm so sorry."

"I do not need your sympathy. I made my peace with her death ages ago."

"Of course." Kagome murmured. The two fell silent, and the young woman smiled and continued to walk amid the colorful blooms. Without even really thinking about it, Sesshomaru followed after her. "Which is your favorite?" Kagome called over her shoulder.

The prince was silent, soaking in the calm of the afternoon. "I would not presume to choose. They are all much the same to me." he answered finally.

"But isn't there one that stands out to you beyond all the rest? One whose beauty outshines all others in your eyes?"

If only. "Perhaps." Sesshomaru replied. He gave the girl a thoughtful look, then turned and walked away.

Kagome shivered. There was something about the King's elder son that set her on edge in a completely new way. A glance at the sun told the young lady that she needed to get back to the castle. It would soon be time to help the princess prepare for dinner, and she still had to get herself ready.

When she returned to her room, Kagome found Sango waiting for her. The bodyguard was already dressed for dinner and had left her weapons in her room as a show of respect.

"Kagome!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

"Out in the garden." the girl answered. She went behind her dressing screen and tossed off her green and white gown. "I chatted with the prince and his brother."

"With the prince?" Sango demanded. "Our lady is going to be envious. He barely spoke to her. Probably too awed by her beauty." Both girls giggled at that.

"What's so funny in here?" asked Miroku from the doorway.

"Ever heard of knocking, Miroku?" Sango snapped. "We could have been indecent."

"That is probably what he was hoping for." Kagome said as she emerged from behind the screen. She was dressed to compliment her princess in a pale lavender gown with green embroidery. It showed a few inches of her bosom and was tight around her waist, erupting into a full skirt.

"Ah, lovely Kagome." Miroku remarked. "You are perfect to stand beside our most beautiful princess tonight."

"No dear Miroku." Kagome corrected with a grin. "Always behind our princess. Never beside."

The young man nodded. "Such is our lot in life."

A/N: Voila! Chapter 2 is up. I am really enjoying writing this story and I hope you guys enjoy reading it. If you have any suggestions let me know. I will try to update It Takes a Village before I leave on Fall Break this weekend. Cross your fingers and then review.