Last chapter of my sucking up. SORRY!

Disclaimer: I do not, have not, and will not own this series.

enjoy.

Chapter 28:

"Susuki," Kagome growled out before the fox was even fully through her door.

"It is-"

"An important day I know its Koyama's last day." All in all the whole thing only took three months considering two of the girls were disqualified one right after each other. Masami made it through her month managing to just gain the hatred of every single person in the palace and Kagome had a sneaking suspicion that is exactly why he kept her around.

Chiaki had flown into a jealous rage when she heard of Masami gaining Sesshomaru's favor and attacked her while she was being led to Sesshomaru. Instantly disqualified the sent her home and retrieved Reiko, she seemed the most promising. Good with the children, good at cleaning, and very good at attempting to seduce Sesshomaru. It had been Kagome who had walked in on her and a guard in the hot springs. She had lasted a month, and now Sesshomaru's favorite would be pick.

Sesshomaru showed the most 'interest' in Masami but Koyama had the most power. It had been previously decided that he would pick Koyama to remind all that he was not one to value a females company. She would also make a good show of being a good opponent for Kagome until the private match where the lords will have a small warning of what awaited them in the future.

Kagome dressed quickly and ate the food Susuki offered quickly. There was still an hour before the announcement but as the alpha female she needed to be there long before it started. Kagome hurried down the hall hoping Sesshomaru remembered their plan. If he chose Koyama without carefully thinking it over them would suspect something.

Kagome strode over to Sesshomaru confidently they talked quietly as the other lords looked on. Yet they talked of nothing important, she gave him reports on what the children had accomplished in their studies and what she had learned on her short travel a few days prior. They had no time to converse before this, or at least that is what the other lords thought.

There was an awkward tension as they waited for the others to arrive and their arrival did not go ignored. The two women were each brought in by a swarm of guards and two remained with each as the others situated themselves near exists and at the very back. Soon the audience being mainly servants and pack members came in and a silence fell over them all.

There was quite mumbling from the lords before Lord Kouga stepped forward facing the crowd, he looked at Kagome and motioned her forward. Gracefully she walked forward and inclined her head slightly, not enough as the lords would have liked.

"Lady Kagome, miko and Alpha of the western lands are you willing to step down from your place if you lose to either of these women?"

Kagome looked him in the eyes and lifted her chin a little more, "I am willing." Kouga nodded and stepped back and all attention was on her, "I will not make a speech. You are not worth me wasting my breath on. You Masami are disliked by everyone but accomplished at most physical labour, and you are neither Koyama but are the strongest."

Kagome turned and walked back noticing the amusement in Sesshomaru's eyes as he observed the reactions of the Lords sitting across from them. What she had said was not what they had expected, but she spoke truthfully.

The small whispers and snorts of laughter stopped abruptly as Sesshomaru stepped forward and scanned the crowd, "I choose," Sesshomaru hesitated and looked at Masami in what he hoped would be taken as a 'longing' way and closed his eyes, "Koyama."

There was a few silent gasps and exclaims of shock and the lords looked appeased that the choice had not been 'easy' for him to make. Kagome hid her sigh of relief before standing next to Sesshomaru she barely moved her head in recognition of Koyama's bow to her.

"I will see you in a week, Milady," Koyama said threateningly and Sesshomaru bit back the growl that he wanted to release at the threat implied. It would raise the lords suspicions so he settled with digging his claws into his hand.

Kagome and Sesshomaru walked away and the guards escorted both females away. Kagome walked away without glancing once at Sesshomaru and he forced himself to keep his eyes glued to the hall in front of him.

Kagome was confused, worried, and concerned. She was confused because as Sesshomaru glanced at Masami she had believed that he had wanted her, and she was concerned about the feeling inside of her. She was sure it was just guilt of making him choose another over the one he wanted. Then when all that was put aside she was worried about what would happen in just over a week. She wasn't too worried about the dethroning so much the murder that was to follow. She had prepared every kind of antidote for every kind of poison that could affect him and she had vowed she would not sleep until he was safe. She was also thinking about a decoy if need be.

There was so much to think about and so much to plan for that she could barely focus on training, but that was the most important thing at the moment. There were other options then fighting but she refused to even voice them in her head. She was trying to find the easiest way out and easiest way to keep Sesshomaru safe, that was all in the near future and she couldn't think about the near future she had to think about the future concerning the defeat of Naraku and the future she had left behind.

Kagome wearily blocked a blow aimed at her face and Susuki stopped in front of her, "This is no time to be worrying . Focus on the fight." Kagome gave a short nod before disappearing into her room to get ready.

Despite Susuki's words she could not let her thoughts slip to the back of her mind. She remained distracted through the entire dinner, which made the lords grin in anticipation. That went unnoticed as well.

Once again she retired early, but unlike any other night she retreated to her room, what seemed like hours later the children entered the room and bid her good night. She put on a bright smile for them and as they left she extinguished all lights in her room.

She did not sleep and held her breath as the Sesshomaru's light footsteps stopped outside the door, and when she heard him enter his own bedroom she let the breath out slowly before rising to her feet. She opened her window and walked out on to the balcony, she looked around for a brief minute before her eyes landed on the dojo a few feet away. Before she had even made up her mind she had leapt over the railing and lowered herself gently on to the ground.

That's where Sesshomaru found her a few hours later gleaming with a layer of sweat and almost entirely naked. He raised an eyebrow as she continued to go over her perfect moves again and again flowing from one flawless stance to another. She was obviously beyond exhaustion but she refused to stop.

"Kagome," he called her name softly and she turned toward him startled. Her eyes were mostly closed and now that she had stopped he watched as she just sank to the floor. "What are you doing?" he asked wanting to walk closer but unsure if it would even help.

Confusion crossed her face as she stared at her hands loosely holding a sword, "I don't know. I couldn't sleep." The last word was slurred as the rest of her body sunk to the floor.

Sesshomaru sighed and glanced around, looking for her discarded clothing, which she had left in a neat pile in one corner of the room. He draped the clothing over her covering most of her body before picking up her light frame. Her skin was much softer than any he had felt before and although she had just worked herself into exhaustion her scent was not clouded with the disgusting smell most humans carried with them, which was a most pleasant surprise.

He carried her across his garden and looked up at the balcony leading to her bed room. Effortlessly he jumped over the balcony into the window and gently laid her back into the covers she had tossed aside.

1.1

Kagome didn't do to breakfast that morning, and the meal was spent with snide remarks from the other lords and quick and snappish replies from the rest of her pack, excluding Sesshomaru of course who watched everything his face completely blank.

"She should join us for lunch," Susuki finally said and the lords made an uncommitted sound.

She was still not awake when lunch came around and the other lords shot a victorious look towards the fox general. Who turned to hide her sneer.

They became concerned when Kagome still had not awoken for dinner, and remained unresponsive to their calls and touches. Kagome did not sleep this long unless something was wrong.

"If she doesn't wake tomorrow," Kouga started after prompting from the other Lords, "I suggest you allow Koyama to run the household since Jaken can't do it all."

Sesshomaru bit back a snarl and merely nodded his head. There were two things he hated the most, the first being not knowing what was going on and the second is not being able to control his life. He didn't know why Kagome wouldn't wake up and he had no choice but to agree since for all intent purposes he was going to mate Koyama.

The other two lords smiled victoriously at each other.

0/0

Kagome yawned and slowly opened her eyes to the noon day sun spilling into her room through the open window. She didn't remember coming back to her bed or sleeping so long. Her mind was still on the dream she had, which lingered still making her think it may have been a little more than a dream.

She had been sitting in a field and a disembodied breathless voice started talking to her. It told her that it was grateful for all her hard work in completing the jewel and that the cursed jewels she was trying to purify could only be purified in one way. That way they could reach in her dreams and so she worked as hard in her dream as in life. The voice gave her many warnings and prompted her to wake just now, which was so late in the day.

Kagome frowned as she tossed her legs over the side of the bed; she hoped they did not mind she had slept in so late. She stood and slowly got dressed, it seemed like there was something off in the castle.

The door opened and Kagome turned to see who would walk in without knocking. A small servant girl was standing at the entrance her eyes wide and her mouth open. There were some new linens lying forgotten in front of her. Kagome raised a questioning brow.

"Milord!" In an instant Sesshomaru was standing there staring at the servant girl waiting for her to explain why she was screeching. She opened her mouth a few times but nothing came out so she lifted her hand numbly and pointed toward Kagome.

Sesshomaru slowly turned his head, hesitant in a way. Now that she could see him clearly Kagome was sure he looked tired, and stressed. His eyes widened a fraction when he saw her standing, it was an unnoticeable change.

"Wha-" Kagome was cut off when Sesshomaru motioned for her to follow him out. She cocked her head slightly but followed him anyway. As first she didn't fully understand what she was seeing, but slowly she took some tattered wall hangings, a cracked wall, the floor was littered with random things like broken dishes, torn paper, shredded sheets. "How did this happen?"

"Koyama has been in charge of the household while you've been sleeping."

"How did this happen in a half a day?"

Sesshomaru raised a slender brow, "That would even impress this one, this has taken almost an entire week."

"What?" Kagome asked in a shocked whisper, "I-"

"Yes. One more day and this Sesshomaru would have been forced to rule in this-"

"How did she do all of this in a week?"

"More then this."

"How?" Kagome grunted.

"The woman is confusing, apparently, and when misheard she tends to get angry and destroy stuff."

Kagome sighed and walked down the hall towards the main hall of the castle, where Koyama's aura was raging out of control. She was half way to the stairs when she could hear the demoness' angry yelling. Calmly Kagome walked down the stairs and as the servants say her they breathed a sigh of relief, things would be better by dinner.

"What is going on here?" Kagome asked and Koyama whipped her head around to give a snide remark. She stopped however when she saw she smirked as if she had won something.

"Fulfilling my duties as Lady of the West."

"As I understand it you are not his mate yet."

"How would you know?"

Kagome just raised her eyebrow in perfect imitation of the stoic lord, but didn't answer the woman as she turned her attention to the servants who were waiting for orders to be given, "How are we for food?"

"Almost out." Answered the oldest of the kitchen maids.

"Take Yuri, Shippo and Rin to the nearest village and stock up on the necessities." The maid nodded before hurrying away while Yuri gathered the children, "Mina I assume you kept a log of the damage done in my absence?" the maid nodded meekly as she handed it quickly over to Kagome. She glanced through the first paged and sighed, "Mina take Eri, Yuka, Mogami, and Kyu to the east wing and start the clean up on the first floor and continue downward. You five," Kagome said pointing to a group of servants on her left side, "To the north wing. You nine will go to the west wing and you eight to the south," the servants left quickly leaving Kagome with a limited number, "The rest of you split off to the kitchens and laundry room. Jaken check in on the servants and make a list of anything that cannot be fixed by the servants, such as broken walls, broken anything really."

"What do you think you are doing!" screeched Koyama back handing Kagome across the face.

"I will repay you for that when it is appropriate," Kagome turned to walk away.

"Guards!" the demoness screetched again and suddenly Kagome found her arms bound in tight but hesitant hands.

"Let her go," Susuki commanded and the hands loosened for a moment.

"You are to listen to me not anyone else," Koyama growled, "arrest the foolish captain as well."

Confidently the demoness strolled up the stairs heading towards Sesshomaru's office. She paid little attention to the grunts of pain behind her as the two unwilling women were pushed up the stairs. If she had her way then she wouldn't have to fight, she did hope that the stupid miko would stay asleep far past the day they were mated and perhaps slept into deaths embrace, not without help of course.

"Oh Sesshomaru, darling!" Koyama screeched, "I know how tense you've been lately," she said pushing out her bottom lip and assuming what she thought was a pouty yet sexy tone, "I've even heard whispers of a coup, and an attempt on your life." Sesshomaru paid no attention to anyone that had entered the room, her was far to focused on ignoring the potential mate, "I am just happy to know I found them before they could do anything."

Sesshomaru looked up now wanting to know exactly what she was blabbering about, and raised an eyebrow in slight curiousity as he noticed Kagome and Susuki restrained. He looked to the woman blubbering and pointed at the two. This was all he had to do to demand an explanation out of anyone, other than the miko who was restrained she had the habit of ignoring him until he spoke, and it had to be more than a 'hn'.

"These two were plotting your death long before the miko fell asleep, and upon awaking she sought her accomplice to finish their plan."

Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose in disgust as the demoness' deceit filled the air. He spared a look at Kagome who merely rolled her eyes, "If she so wanted to kill me why does she not attack her captors to free herself and the captain of my guards?"

"These guards are far too powerful for this weakling, believe me she tried!"

Sesshomaru sent a purposeful glance in her direction, and Kagome complied with a tilt of her head. Without drawing notice she summoned her powers to hover just below her skin. Then as quick as a snake she lashed out, the two guards holding her screamed in pain and dropped her arms.

Kagome was about to advance forward but before she could move a ball of orange fur flew through the open window landing in her arms. The force of the sudden impact made her step back.

Koyama turned to scream at what had nearly hit her she noticed Kagome. She stiffened slightly before falling to the ground. Kagome looked from her unconscious body to Susuki as the other woman did the same.

"I thought you were going to catch her," Susuki drawled lifting her arms that her still help up to emphasize her inability to do anything. Kagome in reply lifted Shippo who was encircled in her arms.

"We're back!"

End.

I am once again very sorry and I will try not to leave such a large gap of time between posts