Chapter 6
From the moment Sesshomaru dropped Kagome off at her room, he all but disappeared from her life. Over the next two weeks all she saw of him was glimpses. A swish of silver hair here, a golden eyed stare there, but nothing more. It was driving Kagome crazy. So was Yukami.
Every morning the princess would ask her to relay some request to the prince. Kagome actually looked for him for the first few days, but when it became obvious that Sesshomaru didn't want to be found, she would just sit in the garden and read before returning to repeat the prince's default refusal. Yukami wasn't giving up though, and finally sent Kagome to tell Sesshomaru that she wanted an audience with him or she was leaving and never coming back. So Kagome set out to look for the prince one more time.
She headed down to the practice yards since it was that time of day. Before she made it very far, Sanyen leapt down from a tree in front of her. "Good afternoon, Lady Kagome."
"Hello Sanyen." the young woman replied. "I know I've asked you this a million times already, but do you have any idea where I might find Prince Sesshomaru?"
The cat demon grinned. "I just might. I heard he was having some big meeting with his father today, but he'll be down here before that. Why so interested?"
"Oh...Princess Yukami has another message for him."
"Can't take a hint, that one." Sanyen remarked. "Well, since you've got some time, would you like to have a staff match with me? It's a good way to take out certain frustrations, if you know what I mean."
"What do you mean, Sanyen?"
"Just that I've noticed you and my captain are rather friendly, and even though he's more talkative than our prince, Captain Inuyasha is squeamish around the fairer sex."
Kagome shot the guard a shrewd look. "R-iii-ght. Well, I'll spar with you, reasons aside."
"Excellent." Sanyen gestured for Kagome to follow him to a different area.
A few of his fellow guards looked up as he walked by with the young woman. "Ooh!" one of them called. "Does Prince Sesshomaru know you've got his human in tow, Sanyen. He'll be very put out if you eat her."
"Shut it, Daisuke." Inuyasha's voice rang out. "Kagome is no youkai's human, ain't that right, Kagome?"
The lady grinned. "Right. Thanks, Inuyasha."
The hanyou nodded. "What are you doing down here with these morons anyway?"
"I'm going to spar with Sanyen in staff fighting." Kagome replied.
"Really?" Inuyasha remarked, looking over at the guard.
"Yes, Captain. You should hang around and watch." Sanyen suggested. Inuyasha agreed and settled in to watch the match.
Sanyen was good, but surprisingly, Kagome was better. Ten minutes after they had started, the guard was flat on his back gasping for breath. The other guards were all silent in awe. Sanyen was one of the best fighters among them and here he was, defeated by a lady in waiting.
Daisuke stepped forward and knelt before Kagome. "My lady, you must mate with one of the King's sons. With you here our lands could do nothing but prosper. I can feel it."
Kagome flushed. "I'm not as special as all that." she stammered. "I'm sure the sons of InuTaisho could do so much better than me."
"Not likely." Inuyasha muttered.
"Indeed." came Sesshomaru's soft, yet commanding voice. The guards immediately bowed to their prince.
"You can go right back to where you came from." the hanyou snapped. "This is my domain."
Sesshomaru gave his little brother a bland look. "Ah, but I am the prince here, Inuyasha. Everything in these lands is my domain."
There was no arguing with that. "Fine. What do you want?"
The prince turned to Kagome, and though his face was impassive, his golden eyes smoldered. The youkai held his hand out to her without saying a word.
Kagome met his eyes and slipped her hand into his. "I haven't seen you in days."
"My thoughts kept me away." Sesshomaru replied. "I did not want to come to you with doubt in my heart."
"Doubt about what?"
"You."
As usual Kagome's heart started beating double time. "Me?"
Sesshomaru nodded. "When you are finished here, I would appreciate it very much if you'd meet me in the garden, dear Kagome." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and withdrew.
The young woman blinked after him and then found herself staring into another pair of intense amber eyes. Inuyasha was glaring at her. "Can I have a word with you?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, the half demon grabbed Kagome's arm and towed her over to a corner.
"What is going on between you and my brother?" Inuyasha demanded.
"I don't know." Kagome admitted.
"What do you think is going on?" The young woman just shook her head. Inuyasha closed his eyes. "Are you in love with him?"
"I...think...I could be." Kagome whispered.
"You hardly even know him!" the hanyou protested. "You don't fall in love with someone over the course of a few weeks. Especially not someone like Sesshomaru."
The lady smiled. "But he's what I've always wanted, Inuyasha."
"Because he's a prince."
"No. Because he's an amazing person. He could be a peasant and I'd feel the same way."
Inuyasha lowered his eyes. "The bastard better be good to you, if you choose him or I'll hand him his ass. I don't care if he is a prince."
Kagome giggled. "Thank you, Inuyasha." She kissed him on the cheek. "Would you escort me to the garden, Captain?"
The hanyou bowed and offered her his arm. Kagome placed her hand on it and together they made their way to the garden.
Sesshomaru was sitting on one of the benches, his head tipped back, basking in the sun. When Kagome and Inuyasha approached, he sat up. Inuyasha lifted the lady's hand from his arm and kissed it. He gave his brother a glare and walked away. Kagome walked over and sat next to Sesshomaru.
"Is the half breed angry with me?" the prince asked.
"His name is Inuyasha." Kagome scolded. "And I think he's more upset with me than anyone else. He thinks I'm an idiot for falling-" she stopped.
A small smile graced Sesshomaru's face. "I assure you that people will see me as more of an idiot than you for falling-" he was interrupted by Kagome placing her hand over his mouth.
She closed her eyes. "Sesshomaru..."
The youkai moved her hand. "Kagome I've spent the last two weeks thinking about this. Youkai take mates and then cast them aside once a child is born. Even in the case of my parents, there was no love. We are different and it is a unique and wonderful thing."
"Why are we different, your Highness?"
"Because you never needed to use my title and I never wanted you to." Sesshomaru replied. "Because Kagome, I love you. Do not take those words lightly. I have never said them in all my years of life, to any other person." The prince stood up and walked among the flowers. "Do you remember when you asked me which flower was my favorite?"
"Yes." Kagome whispered, knowing he would hear. "You said none of them were special to you."
Sesshomaru nodded. "My feelings on that have changed." He bent down and picked an ebony bloom that was edged in crimson. The youkai came back to the bench and tucked the flower behind Kagome's ear. "That is my favorite."
"Why?" the lady asked.
"It is one of a kind. That is the only ebony flower to be found in the entire Western province. It reminds me of you. In truth Kagome, you are the most special flower to me."
"Sesshomaru, you're a prince. You have to mate and marry a woman who can stand beside you in all things. Someone who can be looked upon as your equal. Someone whose love you can be proud of." Kagome said tearfully.
"Can that not be you?" Sesshomaru wanted to know. "I am the heir of everything as far as the eye can see. I could care less how other people feel about you. I am a selfish creature and my feelings are all that matter in this decision." Seeing that she wasn't convinced, the prince tried a different tactic. "Who does not like you, Kagome? All of the guards here respect you for your skills and your friendship with their captain. Said captain, is probably your strongest ally here even though it has been years since you've seen him. Even my father is fond of you. He is under the mistaken impression that you will marry Inuyasha, but he likes you."
That threw Kagome for a loop. "Why would he think I'm marrying Inuyasha?"
"My father has the romanticized notion that since the two of you are close you will eventually mate. However, once he knows that it is I, and not my half brother, who loves you, he will welcome you into our family." Kagome was shaking her head, and the prince grabbed her hands firmly. "Do you love me, Kagome? Because if you do, nothing else should matter."
Chocolate colored eyes met warm gold. "I do love you, Sesshomaru, but..." She was cut off by warm lips pressing against hers. The prince tried to take all her doubts away with a single kiss.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Inuyasha took a deep breath and knocked on the door of the King's study, then pushed it open. "You wanted to see me, Father?" he asked gruffly.
"Ah, Inuyasha, come in."
The hanyou entered and took a seat. InuTaisho smiled at his younger son. "How is the guard looking right now?" he asked. It was always hard to have conversations with his sons. Starting off by asking about their duties made it a little easier.
Inuyasha sat up straighter. "They are in good shape. Sanyen's morale is a little low right now because Lady Kagome just kicked his ass in staff fighting."
The king smiled, picturing the sharp tongued guard defeated by the gentle looking woman. "Sanyen can use the humbling." he said. "Speaking of the Lady Kagome though, the two of you seem quite friendly."
"You could say that we are old friends." Inuyasha responded suspiciously. He saw a gleam in his father's eye that worried him. "But we are only friends."
"Well now don't sell yourself short, my boy. I'm sure there could be a future for the two of you if you worked at it. She is a very nice girl."
"Yes, yes she is." Inuyasha agreed, preparing to end this line of though right there. "But she loves Sesshomaru, and he loves her back."
InuTaisho froze. "Sesshomaru loves her back? How do you know that?"
"He has this way of looking at her and he smells like a love sick puppy. I've seen them together and it's like they were made for each other or something." Inuyasha shrugged. "It seems that he makes her happy and vise versa."
"I never thought I'd see the day when my eldest son would be in love. Does he intend to mate with her?" the king wanted to know.
"Would you allow him to?" Inuyasha fired back.
InuTaisho frowned. "I would not think to deny him his love, Inuyasha. The inuyoukai clan will undoubtedly be skeptical because the woman is a human, but I have no quarrel."
"Of course not." Inuyasha muttered. "If there's nothing else..." he got up and headed toward the door.
"Inuyasha." the king called. "I know I'm not always as attentive as I should be to you, but I never forget that you are my son."
The hanyou opened the door. "I like the independence." he said, and was gone.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
A/N: AWWW! They're in love! This is by no means the end of the story. There is more to come, after all someone has to break it to Yukami that she is out of the running. We'll see some of Kagome's family and meant the inuyoukai clan leaders in upcoming chapters. Remember to review!