[Hey guys! Just to let you know, I only have one day of school left! YAY! On that incredibly happy note, please review and enjoy!]
Dressed in informal play clothes, she and Miroku waited outside the door of the royal playroom. Neither of the lord's sons played in it, at least not anymore, so it had been gifted to the children of the court. She nodded to Miroku, and he opened the door for her. The four children inside looked up at her with a start. They were varied races, a wolf yokai, a kitsune, and two humans, one with short brown hair and one with long black hair.
She waved shyly, "I'm Kagome Higurashi."
The four children gazed up at her from where they sat on the floor.
"Come sit with us, Kagome!" the young kitsune called.
Smiling, glad he hadn't used her title, she moved to do what he had told her.
"I'm Shippo!" the young kitsune told her. "I'm five," he added proudly, holding up five fingers.
She smiled at the younger boy.
"I'm Koga," the wolf yokai volunteered, "I'm nine. I'd love to show you around sometime."
She laughed, "Save it. I'm engaged."
He sighed, not really looking discouraged.
"I'm Akitoki Hojo. I'm eight," said the human with brown hair, "and this is Bankotsu. He's ten. Don't let his attitude get to you. He's moody with everyone."
She grinned, "I'll keep that in mind. Would you mind if I play with you."
The kitsune smiled, "We were just about to make up a new game. Will you help us?"
She nodded, "Of course Shippo-chan."
Outside the door, unbeknownst to all but the guard, a young demon lord sat, listening to their fun and longing to join in. He'd trained himself to be an adult, though he was only eleven, and then this female had come along, leaving him longing to be a child again. Wanting to play, and pretend, and laugh, and cry. What was she doing to him? He didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted to.
"Kagome-chan!" Shippo began, "In this new game, would you like to be a princess?"
"Hmm. No, thank you, Shippo-chan. It would be much better, I think, if I was just a farmer's daughter, I'd be so much happier."
And out in the hall, the stoic demon lord agreed with her. If he was not a lord, then he might be allowed to be a child, and, for the first time in his life, he didn't think of childhood as such a bad thing. Now, he saw it merely as a liberty, not his to take. And it saddened him, if only the slightest bit.
"Now," the little human began, "The story must begin at the castle. Pretend I have to go there for some reason, and then I'll meet the handsome prince."
Koga grinned. He was the prince.
She moved into the small fort they'd made, bowing before the wolf, who had an impressive outfit consisting of blankets over his plain play clothes.
"Rise, fair maiden," the young wolf said, "For we are equals in this, my home. I am but a man, you: an angel."
The young kitsune snickered at his dramatic performance as he crawled into the fort as well.
"My lord," he began, bowing slightly, "I have seen a threat on the border. The great outlaw Bankotsu and his terrifying renegade, Hojo."
"Then we shall go to war!" the wolf declared, "Onward!"
Both boys ran out, Kagome following behind. An extremely amusing fight ensued, leaving both Shippo and Hojo "dead". She watched as Bankotsu struck Koga down, his death by far the most dramatic thing she'd seen in a while.
"I have defeated your protectors princess," Bankotsu said, the first words she'd heard him speak, "What now?"
She took up a fighting stance, though it was very clumsy.
"Who do you think I am?" she asked indignantly, "I'll fight you myself, since these two couldn't beat you! And for your information, I am not a princess!"
She swung, not attempting for contact, and the older boy played along, glad to finally see a girl who could play at the boys' sides. Laughing as she did, she swung a foot toward his chest, making it stop inches from it, then she cartwheeled away. There was very little skill in her fighting, only play, but she was extremely flexible and had wondrous balance.
"Impressive," he said, in the accent of the outlaw, "but can you handle this?"
He swung a fake kick at her jaw, and she forced herself to fly back accordingly. She pretended to struggle, getting to her feet, and panting exaggeratedly.
"I don't like outlaws," she murmured, "So I suggest you leave."
She pretended to unsheathe a blade and sent it flying.
Bankotsu's death wasn't as dramatic. He merely glanced at the place the imaginary knife would have hit, then collapsed.
And as she stood in the room, her friends remaining "dead" for a few moments longer, not even demonic hearing heard her whisper, "I'm not a princess. And I never will be."
After her lesson with Sango, the poor girl was left to her own devices once more. She was not allowed to go back to the playroom because she had been told to remain calm. She had had too much exercise for one day, they said, and it was unbecoming of a lady. She had rolled her eyes at this, but had complied with her handmaiden's wishes.
It was during her free time that she met Sesshomaru again. He had opened her door, without knocking, and dismissed Sango, all without permission.
"My lord, what is it that brings you here?" she asked politely, averting her eyes.
"It has come to my attention that you have a potential for combat."
She raised her eyes to his in shock, "With all due respect my lord, who told you that?"
He acted as if she hadn't spoken, "Though only in play, you defeated an opponent who is older, and has already begun combat training."
"You mean Bankotsu-san?"
"Hnn."
"Sesshomaru-sama... is it truly a woman's place to-"
"You will be trained in self-defense, and basic combat. After those lessons have been completed, you will have the choice of whether to continue them."
Eh?
"Y-yes, my lord. If you insist."
"Hnn."
He rose to his feet, striding out the door and leaving a very confused girl in his wake.
[Well, what do you think? Please review.]