Inurella

Chapter 4: A father's excitement

***Meanwhile back at Naraku's Mansion***

While Kagome was downstairs gathering her cleaning supplies and getting ready for a very long day of cleaning ridiculous things that don't even need to be cleaned in the first place.

She heard a knock at the door.

At the time Kikyo and Kagura were upstairs with their father.

Kikyo was playing the tambourine while Kagura was playing the piano. Naraku was sitting in the far corner banging his head against the wall.

Kagome ran to the door wondering who it could be so early in the morning. She peeked through the little hole in the door and caught a glimpse of a short bald man with a very thick mustache. He was holding a roll of parchment in his hand.

Kagome opened the door immediately knowing this must be important.

"Good morning Miss. Is your mother or father home?" the old man asked.

Kagome blinked and thought for a moment shifting her glance to the ceiling. "Well my stepfather is here, but you should know that my step sisters are upstairs singing and playing the tambourine, so I'm thinking that he's probably banging his head against the wall right now" Kagome said matter of factly.

Kagome leaned closer towards the man and whispered "If you listen carefully you can hear it echoing through the halls."

The duke paused for a moment looking around as if to try and listen. "I see, well than I suppose I can just read this to you and you can pass along the message to your….err…. family members?" The duke asked a little unnerved.

"Yes of course please come in." Kagome said as she motioned for him to enter.

He wiped his shoes and cleared his throat. "Thank you. As you know I am the Duke of the King and Queen's and I'm here to present you with this note inviting you and your sister's to a ball at the castle, coming next Friday. All eligible maidens are to attend."

The Duke bowed and presented the parchment to Kagome who held it like it was a ticket to freedom. "It explains all the details and everything here on this roll of parchment".

Kagome was so filled with excitement she was trembling.

"Even I can go too?" Kagome asked excitedly.

"Why of course madam" The duke said as he smiled and tipped his hat.

"Well thank you Sir, I'll be sure to pass this on to my sister's" Kagome said politely.

The duke headed out the door and thanked her again for her time and hopped on a horse and galloped away, leaving Kagome standing there in awe.

"A ball? At the Castle? With dresses and music?" Kagome thought as she twirled around happily with stars in her eyes.

Kagome stopped as she heard Naraku's voice.

"Kagome? What is that? What are you doing? Why are you …dancing and such?" Naraku squinted his eyes. "It is not…' natural' to me, this… 'Dancing' about and such nonsense." He said making a strange twirling gesture with his hands.

Naraku stared at Kagome as he fidgeted with his hands as he proceeded down the stairs cautiously.

Kagome stared at him blankly. "It's just that this man…." Kagome started to say before she was rudely cut off.

"A man? Someone came by the house and you didn't inform me of this?" Naraku said glaring at Kagome.

"Y-you were upstairs and…" Kagome started to say again.

"Upstairs?" Naraku lifted his gaze slowly towards the upstairs and shuddered.

"Yes I was upstairs wasn't I? And what was I doing upstairs Kagome?" Naraku said calmly stepping closer to her.

Kagome stood up straight. "You were upstairs listening to the girls practice" she said quickly.

"Listening?" Naraku snorted.

Naraku cringed. "Not exactly Kagome. Let me tell you what I was doing "upstairs".

Naraku sighed and began to pace back and forth. "They call it singing, I do not like such noise. But the girls insisted! So I reluctantly listened to them, but as I sat there, I felt the need to bang my head against the wall to block out the ridiculous unnatural noises coming from those two girls. Whatever those two were doing, it was not music, and it was racket! And it gives me such migraines!" Naraku said as he placed the back of his hand on his forehead.

Naraku stepped in front of Kagome and grabbed her shoulders with pain in his eyes. "Did you not think that I would've given my right arm and both of my legs for any excuse to get away from those two "singing"?" Naraku said sternly.

"Err….Forgive me" Kagome said with her head down rather nervously.

Naraku sighed "I need an aspirin"

He continued "What did the man want Kagome?" he asked calmly.

Kagome slowly handed him the note, knowing that the chances of her going now were starting to deteriorate.

Naraku read as his eye's got bigger and bigger "My God, a ball in 1 week? Naraku said in a high pitched voice. "How will we manage to pull this off? Naraku frantically looked around the room.

But he stopped and realized what this meant. "Finally a way to marry off Kikyo" Naraku muttered under his breath.

Kagome was about to ask what a ball had to do with getting married, when Naraku immediately turned around jumping, and running around in circles and yelling at the top of his lungs, waving his arms frantically in the air like an over excited middle aged woman.

"Girls, girls, I have the most exciting news….hurry and get down here!" Naraku yelled.

Doors slammed and shouting was heard, as well as loud quick footsteps.

Before they even reached the top of the stairs Kikyo shoved Kagura out of the way, so she could be the first one to arrive once again.

"Kagura don't just stand there! Shove her back! I didn't raise you to be a push over" Naraku said sternly.

"Yes father" Kagura said slowly

Kikyo and Kagura ran down the stairs eagerly waiting what their father had to say.

"What is it father?" Kikyo asked curiously.

"Yes father tell us!" Kagura said practically jumping up and down.

Naraku sighed with delight. "You girls have been invited to a ball" Naraku held his breath. "…at the castle!" Naraku said as he covered his mouth with his hands and started to giggle.

Both of the girls gaped at their father unbelieving.

Naraku took a deep breath "That's not even the best part! The reason why there's a ball in the first place is because the prince is going to choose a girl sometime during the night, and whoever gets picked will spend 2 weeks with the prince at the castle and that girl will eventually become his bride if…."

"Father slow down, you're starting to sweat" Kikyo exclaimed.

"Your right, I'm just a little excited, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get rid of you!" Naraku said panting.

"What was that father?" Kikyo asked suspiciously.

"uhhh never mind Kikyo do not interrupt me again." Naraku said awkwardly and stared at Kikyo with a raised eyebrow.

Kagome was silently standing there observing all this contemplating whether to try and stab herself with the duster or attempt to ask her step father if she could go…..one of these options sounded more appealing than the other.

Kagome reached for the duster when Naraku turned around.

"Kagome, I suppose you're just itching to ask me if you're able to go or not, am I correct." Naraku asked.

Kagome uncomfortably looked up at Naraku "The thought has crossed my mind yes."

"You're not going to let her go…..are you father?" Kikyo said grabbing a hold of Naraku's arm glaring at Kagome.

"Well there is no reason why she can't go….can you girls think of a reason?" Naraku asked looking at his daughters. Looking grossed out as Kikyo clutched his arm.

"She doesn't have a dress for one thing" Kikyo snarled looking at Kagome up and down.

Kagome looked down at her rags "No….but I could make one, I'm sure there's tons of a fabric in the attic"

"I see, well if you can finish your chores by the end of the day, and of course every day till the ball, not to mention make yourself a dress in time, then I see no reason why you can't go." Naraku said as he peeled Kikyo's cold dead hands off his arm.

"But father! She's just a slave" Kikyo whined as she stomped her foot.

"I think it's fair for her to go, I mean she is an eligible maiden after all" Kagura said smiling at Kagome.

"Oh shut up Kagura" Kikyo yelled at her sister and ran off upstairs having a huge temper tantrum.

Kagome ignored all what was going on around her and remembered what Naraku had said "The prince is looking for a bride? At the ball…I have a chance to become Queen? Ok It's official, I really need to get to this ball." Kagome thought with determination.

"Kagome snap out of it, you better get a move on if you want to make it to the ball this week, remember you have to finish all of your chores in order to attend the ball." Naraku warned.

Kagome did snap out of it and went to start her chores faster than she's ever done before.