Chapter 3

"Please rise for King InuTaisho and Prince Sesshomaru." the herald called into the dining hall. The visiting nobles and guards all stood and turned to watch as the king and his son made their way in. Both youkai looked dashing in blue and white, their silver hair flowing.

Sesshomaru's eyes sought out Kagome at the table. His eyebrows jumped up in surprise. The young woman looked simply beautiful. The princess was her usual gorgeous self. She was decked out in a deep ebony gown and amethyst jewelry. But Kagome just shone with subtle beauty.

The king cleared his throat and Sesshomaru forced his attention to whatever his father was about to say. "Thank all of you for coming to this banquet." InuTaisho began. "It is not often that we get to dine together, royals and guards and guests alike, so when we do it is a special occasion. This banquet is in honor of our guests, the Princess Yukami and her companions, after which will be a ball. So please, enjoy yourselves all of you."

InuTaisho went to sit at the head of the table and directed his son to sit next to Yukami. Once their rulers were seated, the guards filed along the long table and took their seats. Kagome smiled as Inuyasha sat down next to her.

The king gave his younger son a sly look and then motioned for the servants to begin serving the elaborate dinner. Once the food had been brought out, the hall filled with chatter.

"Is that the princess?" Inuyasha asked Kagome, nodding towards Yukami.

"Yes. That's her."

"She's cute." the hanyou remarked, digging into his food. "His royal frigidness doesn't seem to care much."

Kagome stifled a laugh as she watched her mistress flirt with the prince. Sesshomaru was listening to her with a barely contained look of disgust on his face. "Poor Yukami; she'll never be married at this rate. Your brother seems like the type who doesn't respond well to flirting and that's pretty much all Yukami knows how to do."

Inuyasha snorted. "Sesshomaru isn't good with interactions of any kind."

"I had a pleasant interaction with him." Kagome protested. "Of course he walked off halfway through it."

"That's still more than any other female has gotten. Like I said, Sesshomaru usually just ignores the princesses who come here and their servants don't even exist for him. Except you for some reason."

Kagome shrugged and glanced at the prince from across the table. Sesshomaru's intense golden eyes were trained on her face while Yukami prattled on. Kagome's face heated up. She dropped her eyes to her plate and kept them there for the rest of the meal.

Once the kitchen servants had cleared the table, King InuTaisho stood and everyone followed his lead. The king offered a court lady his arm and began the walk to the ball room. He gave the prince a glare over his shoulder.

Sesshomaru kept his face impassive and offered his arm to the princess. The demoness gave him a seductive smile and took the arm. It was a five minute walk from the dining hall to the ballroom in the expansive castle and Yukami chattered the whole time.

"I bet you are a charming dancer, Your Highness." she said. "You're built so wonderfully. I myself have been taking lessons since I was just a pretty young thing. Naturally I am quite good. Of course my companions have been trained as well so they won't embarrass me."

"Hn." was all the prince responded. His sharp eyes found Kagome's form walking towards the ballroom chatting with Sango and, to Sesshomaru's immediate disgust, Inuyasha.

The dance began with King InuTaisho dancing with one of the various court ladies and Sesshomaru with Yukami. To her credit, the princess was indeed a wonderful dancer, but she looked like a novice compared to Sesshomaru. The demon prince moved fluidly from step to step with otherworldly grace, his face set in a bored expression.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. All the women in the room were watching his father and brother move across the floor, too in awe to go out there themselves. The half demon found Kagome standing in a corner talking to Miroku and casting furtive glances at Sesshomaru.

"I would'a figured you for the dancing type." Inuyasha remarked. "What are you doing over here?"

"I'm talking." Kagome responded. "Besides, no one wants to go out on the floor with your family looking so regal and showing everybody up."

"Oh please." the hanyou scoffed.

"Who is your friend, Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"This is Inuyasha." the young woman replied. "He's captain of the Palace Guard and one of the sons of the king. Inuyasha, this is my good friend Miroku. He's Princess Yukami's bodyguard and spiritual advisor."

"Doesn't look like much of a holy man to me." Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome grinned, thinking of all the times she had caught her friend up to no good. She gave the hanyou a thoughtful look. "So you don't think your brother and father look dashing and a little intimidating out there?"

"Anyone can go out there and whirl a woman around. It's not that complicated."

"Then dance with me." Kagome said. "Whirl me around, if it's not that complicated."

The hanyou scoffed. "Nothing doing."

Kagome laughed. "Come on." She grabbed his hand and towed him onto the dance floor.

Inuyasha grunted and Kagome smiled at him. "Don't be so stiff." she said. She placed his hands on the proper places on her body. "You're the son of a king, haven't you had dance lessons?"

"Of course I have."

"Then use them!"

"Alright, just stop yapping!" Inuyasha adjusted his grip on Kagome's waist and let years of practice take over. Soon the two were whirling around just as elegantly as InuTaisho and Sesshomaru. Once the nobles saw their king's reluctant younger son dancing, they got over their inferiority complexes and began to dance themselves.

The king glided up next to his eldest son. "You see, Sesshomaru, that is how to dance with a woman." He nodded in Inuyasha and Kagome's direction. "I am surprised that you allow your younger brother to show you up."

Sesshomaru cut his eyes at his brother and restrained a snarl when he saw the half breed's filthy hands around Kagome's waist. He stepped back from Yukami. "Would you like to go freshen up?" he asked her quietly. "You look a little flushed."

"Oh, of course." Yukami said, startled. She bowed to the prince and walked away, making sure her hips swayed just the right amount.

Sesshomaru composed himself and walked over to his brother and Kagome. The young woman smiled at him. "Good evening, Prince Sesshomaru." she said. "This is a lovely ball."

"Indeed." the demon replied. "May I cut in?"

Inuyasha scowled. "What, you lost your partner so you think you can steal mine? No fucking way!"

"Watch your mouth, half breed. You are in the presence of a lady. Since you have no manners, you will go and stand on the wall with this evening's guard." Inuyasha just glared at his elder brother and Sesshomaru's face went cold and deadly. "Are you ignoring my orders, Captain?"

The hanyou growled but knew that his brother outranked him. He squeezed Kagome's hand and then stalked away.

Sesshomaru moved closer to the young woman and bowed to her. "May I?"

Kagome smirked, but nodded. She tried to ignore the thrill of pleasure that coursed through her when the prince's strong slender fingers wrapped around her waist. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder and allowed him to grab her other hand. The prince gave her a tiny smile and began whirling around the floor.

"You shouldn't be so mean to Inuyasha you know." Kagome said. "He's your brother."

"I am as I am." was the only response the prince would give.

"Yes, I see that. You also shouldn't be so mean to my mistress. She appears to really like you. Would it hurt you to be a little responsive to her flirting?"

"My pride would be injured." Sesshomaru twirled Kagome and then drew her in close. "It would not do for someone of my caliber to mate with a female who flings herself in my direction so often. It is demeaning."

"You certainly think highly of yourself." Kagome commented with a smile.

"Do I not have reason to? I am prince of the Western Lands and one of the best swordsmen in this entire region. Should I not be proud?" Sesshomaru murmured all this in her ear, then leaned even closer. "But there is one thing that I lack. I have yet to find a woman that completes me. It is a depressing realization."

Kagome reached up and timidly stroked the demon's face. "You'll find her, Prince Sesshomaru." she said softly. "People say that you are this cold demon who hates everyone, but I get the feeling that you are more than that. I've seen glimpses of more in the one day I have been here."

For a moment the frozen depths of Sesshomaru's eyes warmed and glowed with an emotion that Kagome couldn't place. The prince moved even closer and leaned down, pressing a kiss to the side of the lady's face. "Thank you." Sesshomaru murmured so softly that Kagome couldn't be sure that she had really heard him. When the demon straightened up, the emotionless look was back on his face and his eyes were cold once again. He bowed to Kagome again and swept from the ballroom, not caring what his father thought of it.

Kagome just stood in the middle of the floor in shock until Yukami came up to her. "Have you seen Prince Sesshomaru?" she wanted to know.

"He just left." Kagome replied.

The princess huffed. "I'm tired. Find Sango and Miroku and tell them we are leaving now."

"As you wish, Your Highness." Kagome signaled to her friends that it was time to leave and made sure to wave goodbye to Inuyasha on her way out. Only once she had helped Yukami undress and gotten herself ready for bed, did she allow thoughts of Sesshomaru to enter her head. She knew it was foolish, but there was something in her that hoped that the look in the demon prince's eyes had been directed at her.

A/N: Alright so we got some nice Inu/Kag FRIENDSHIP and the beginnings of something cute between Prince Sess and Lady Kagome. The next chapter will get them even closer. Hope you enjoyed this. Please review.