They had just arrived at the gates of the estate of the Palace. Guards immediately opened the strong wooden gates. They were surprised to see the princess after all these years. They couldn't help, but stare, instead of bowing, at the lost princess. Sesshomaru was displeased and yelled icily, "If you value your lives then you will bow to your princess. She's still a lady of this house even though she'd been imprisoned for a crime that she didn't commit."

One of the guards said, "I shall speak for all of us... we apologized for being disrespectful to Lady Inuhime. It will never happen again, my Lord."

Sesshomaru and company just walked by him saying nothing. Inuhime knew that there would be some animosity towards her person. She could feel their hatred through their stares. It made her sick inside. Even though, she didn't do any wrong doing, they still felt like she was a traitor. She had never betrayed anybody, all except maybe her mother when she helped her father found another mate. She could see why her mother hated her, but not everyone else. What was their problem? She didn't do anything to them.

Inuhime thought, "Go figure! Knowing mother, she probably spread more untrue rumors about me. No worries, though, I will get to the bottom of this rumor mill and shut it down forever and also clean up anything that my mother had done to this one's image. I will not tolerate such slander on my person, ever, again. They had no reason to hate and/or fear me. I certainly have my work cut out of me, don't I? Regardless of that, though. It's good to be back home; home, sweet home. How I missed it so."

She asked her twin, "Brother, is my bedroom the same or did mother..."

"Sister, your room is the same way before you had been imprisoned. Mother tried to do something to your room, but I forbit her to do so."

"That's a relief."

When they entered the palace, Inuhime got the same reaction from the servants like she had gotten from the palace guards. Sesshomaru immediately told them the same thing, what he said to the guards. Inuhime was pissed off, but a part of her knew that she deserve a little of it, but dammit certainly not this much. Never mind that her mother nearly killed her, twice, and then started these vicious rumors and slandered her name all across the West. Inuhime was beyond angry; she was furious. Her twin felt her aura. He stopped and put his hand on her shoulder to calm her.

She sighed sadly and said, "If you need me, I'll be in my room."

It was evening when there was a knock on Inuhime's door. It was Jaken.

"Just state your business and go away!"

"Milady, Lord Sesshomaru would want you to join him and his mate-to-be for dinner."

"No, tell him that this twin wants to stay her room and will come out whenever she feels ready."

"B-but, milady!"

"You heard what this twin said! This Inuhime won't repeat herself! Now, go away!"

She heard him cursing and mumbling. She just wanted to be by herself and be in her room, alone. Just to relax in her own bed, besides, her twin and his mate-to-be needed to be alone.

After dinner, Kagome and Sesshomaru went into his study. Kagome wanted to have a conversion with the daiyoukai, but doesn't know where to start. Then, out of nowhere Inuhime came to mind. As she sat on a futon...

"Sesshomaru?"

"Hn," as he sat behind his desk looking through some scrolls, that they toad obviously didn't want to deal with them.

"Do you know why Inuhime didn't want to come to dinner?"

Sesshomaru had a pretty good idea, what she was up to, but wasn't at all worried about it.

"Inuhime's mediating. She doesn't want to be disturb."

"Oh...Sesshomaru...umm...I don't know how to ask this without looking like a baka*."

He motioned her to go on.

"Umm, what does mating consist of?"

Sesshomaru was surprised. He wasn't expecting her to ask this question. He would'd thought that his baka half-brother would'd told her what mating was. He obviously didn't.

"Mating is like a human marriage, but the only difference is that mates will live longer with their mates, especially if a youkai's mate is human. Also no other males will have the female in question unless that male is brave or stupid enough to challenge a female's mate. It could become suicidal. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand, but specifically, how does a inuyoukai mate and what that consist of?"

She was blushing the shade of crimson after she said that; knowing damn well that her daiyoukai will enjoy 'explaining' it to her. He smirked as he saw his miko blushed. He then chuckled.

"Oh my dear onna, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. In time I will show you how an inuyoukai mates, unless..."

He paused as he stood and walked towards her. He sat near her as he said in his husky deep voice, "...unless you want to find out now. I will definitely be happy to oblige, if you allow me to do so."

Kagome thought while and after, what he said, "Oh, kami, his voice...he knows very well, what his voice does to me especially when he's so close to my ear. Damn him and his seductive voice."

Oh, Sesshomaru definitely knows how his onna reacts when he's this close to her. He was so amazed how his voice alone could make her respond to him. His voice had made her feel all warm inside, it even send chills throughout her body. He could smell her arousal. He quickly put her on his lap. Her eyes widen with consternation.

"You are, now, feeling what you do to this Sesshomaru, everyday since I first laid eyes on you. This one's beast was drawn to you. Reasons at that point and time were unknown. I thought if I had gotten rid of you, then, that feeling I felt would disappear. As time went on, though, it became clear to me that I wanted... needed you, but honor wouldn't allow this Sesshomaru to interfere with your relationship with my baka half-brother. It hurt this one so, seeing you hurt whenever the whelp would go to see his undead miko. By the way, I had never understood why he would prefer her over you. You had no idea how many times that I wanted to take you away and give you comfort. I wanted you, yes, but I wanted to see you happy. Whenever this Sesshomaru sees you smile, it made this one and his beast smile as well."

Kagome was surprised when she heard his heartfelt confession. It really pull her heart strings to a degree that all she wanted to do... She instantly lock her lips with his. Their tongues swirled around each other. She moaned in his mouth as he growled with pleasure.

He thought, "Oh, Kami, this one believes that he can't get enough of her sweet taste and scent."

When they parted from each other, they were panting and grasping for air. The daiyoukai locked his lips to her as he moved his free hand down to her perfectly curves. He conquered her mouth. The kiss was filled with passion and desire so much so that his eyes beamed red. Everything seemed so perfect until...a knock came from the door. He growled as Kagome pull away from him. It wasn't because she displeased him an anyway, but she instantly knew it wasn't because of her. Instantly annoyed, he said icily, "What Jaken?"

Jaken squeaked and said, "Milord, forgive me, but...there was something or should I dare say someone needs to speak to you. She made it clear that she will not be denied by her own son."

Sesshomaru growled, not liking what the imp said. Jaken knew very well that he was upset, especially when he was being interrupted with his chosen female. He sighed deeply and said softly, "Kagome, stay here with Jaken. This one will see what his meddling mother wants."

"No, I want to meet your mother."

"Miko, don't make me repeat myself."

"She probably already knows about you courting me."

"My mother isn't worth meeting, miko."

"To you, maybe, but please Sesshomaru."

"Very well, then. Don't be surprise if she'll be rude and cruel to you."

"That matters not, anata*. I will take whatever she wishes to dish out on me."

"Very well, then."

Suddenly, he smiled inwardly, that his miko was fearless, which drawn her to him in the first place, as they walked towards the family sitting room.

Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi

Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari