Kagome stared up at the castle, because she couldn't call it anything else, mouth agape as she took it in. "Were you a prince in a former life?" she asked. Walls of stone towered over her, seeming to touch the sky as clouds lamented overhead. Lanterns flickered from within, shining through rich-coloured curtains.

It was something from a fairy tale.

A quiet sigh tore her gaze away, a pinched expression on Sesshoumaru's face. "You will have to inform Mother of your praise when next we see her. It was entirely her idea—an overzealous gift when I became of age."

"Your mother gifted you a castle."

"Indeed." He ran a hand through his hair, and she sensed his agitation. "She is of the opinion that appearance is everything when it comes to establishing wealth and stature."

That didn't surprise Kagome at all, especially when what she'd seen within Inukimi's own home, and she patted his arm. "Just be glad there wasn't a group of simpering handmaidens that went along with it."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "They were sent back very quickly."

Kagome burst out laughing, trying to contain herself as he led her toward the front door, the sounds of the bustling citadel falling away. "She did not!" she gasped, trying to smother the sound.

"You have spent time in her presence. Is it so out of the realm of possibilities?"

Kagome groaned and shook her head. Poor Sesshoumaru; he'd probably been fresh off the battlefield, possibly still trailing in the shadow of his father, and his mother had thought she'd done him a favour by sending him a flock of females that had considered themselves lucky to be in his presence.

"Did you spend a lot of time here when you were younger?" she asked, changing the subject. The walls were lined with intricate tapestries, and though the first one had been of an inuyoukai standing on a cliff, the rest were like snapshots of other countries. Pyramids from Egypt and mountains from Canada, tropical waterfalls with sparkling turquoise water and vast Arabian deserts were only some of the places she glimpsed as she followed him down the hallway.

"It was a place to store weapons and soldiers," he mused, pace slowing as if he knew she wished to take a closer look at the landscapes. "But I have never required something so large. Even now, I only use one wing for myself. The rest are for high-ranking vassals or guests."

A smile touched Kagome's lips. She'd been worried that her view of him had been skewed. He didn't strike her as someone who enjoyed the glitz and glamour his mother so willingly coveted. Luxury and the comfort that came with it, sure, but even she knew it was too much.

"If you start hosting balls or festivals, I will start calling you a prince," she muttered.

Sesshoumaru snorted. "Festivals are held in the citadel or the gardens." He glanced over his shoulder. "And titles mean nothing to those capable enough of acquiring their own power."

Dark hair was flipped over her shoulder. "Then you're not allowed to call me 'miko' anymore."

"As you wish, Kagome." She nearly tripped over her feet, the soft chuckle that followed only darkening the blush on her cheeks. What had she just gotten herself into?

As it turned out, the duties he had her help with were rather dull. He'd turned one of the rooms in the western wing into a makeshift office, scrolls lining the walls and covering a desk. Apparently, being in charge of an entire village meant an endless flow of missives.

Being able to read and write meant she could help with the mail, sorting through those that needed his immediate attention and those that could wait until he felt the need to answer them—if they received one at all.

The former were primarily inquiries from neighbouring villages, both near and far, requesting resources, food, or safe passage through some of the more dangerous terrains. Kouga had mentioned helping out some of the less skilled tribes, especially during winter, but Kagome hadn't realized just how essential the treaties between youkai and humans still were.

She sighed as she skimmed through another request, this one from a butterfly tribe to the north. "I thought we'd made more of a difference."

Sesshoumaru looked up from his desk, paintbrush pausing over parchment. "We have barely begun the day's missives."

She shook her head. "Not that. After the fall of Naraku, with how far we'd all travelled and the number of people we'd helped, I thought there'd be less strife between everyone. That they'd want to help each other out to maintain peace."

He placed the brush into the inkwell, fingers intertwining under his chin. "Not everyone is as open-minded as you, Kagome."

One day, she'd get used to him calling her that.

"Maybe, but we all felt the burn of his miasma, right? Why wouldn't you fight to keep that from happening again?" Reiki flared in agitation, Sesshoumaru's youki automatically rising to soothe it—and keeping it from spreading into the hallway.

She'd made the mistake of treating his home the same as her usual travels, dispelling her reiki whenever necessary, and it wasn't until Jaken had come barging into her room with singed robes that she'd remembered what it was like to be among large numbers of people.

Sesshoumaru had been quick to calm the masses, taking her with him into town and introducing her to the villagers. Some had been wary, but most had been grateful to have her nearby, tales of her healing abilities and overall acceptance doing wonders to settle their nerves.

He'd also continued their training. She could now create a sword and shield out of reiki, using it to deflect his light whip and even his acid claws. But the most helpful tactic had been meditation, using her power as a sixth sense.

Before, it had been as simple as sensing everyone's auras in the near vicinity. It had kept her safe throughout her travels, so Kagome had never seen the point in developing it further. But now she could use it to snuff out smaller youkai and even cage the auras of larger ones.

She'd never known how far her power reached until now—until him.

Bokuseno's words were never far from her mind, allowing her to seek Sesshoumaru's help when the build-up of reiki became too much. He'd whisked her away to the middle of a lake the first time it happened, steadfast on the shore as her power caused waves to crash at his feet.

It had been subtle at first; neither of them had attempted it before, but his power wasn't as opposing as they had thought. Sesshoumaru assumed the role of conductor, attracting the reiki and sending it back into the ground like in Bokuseno's glade, but their powers had sought a different outlet instead, clashing in a spectacular display of light before lightning crackled through the air.

They'd returned to the tree youkai with questions, but he'd simply laughed and told them the elements were at work. Kagome wasn't sure how much he knew about the source of her power, but from then on, they'd sought higher ground—cliffs and mountaintops.

For smaller emotional outbursts such as these, it was enough to just be in his presence, a simple swell of his youki enough to dispel the build-up like static electricity. It often left her curls standing on end, so she'd started styling her hair more often, a few of the children in the citadel taking it upon themselves to show her the latest fashions so she didn't have to resort to the traditional ponytail.

Thumbing the end of her braid, she sent out another tendril of reiki on purpose, allowing the lid on her power to settle instead of boiling over. Sesshoumaru took it in stride, flexing his fingers before getting to his feet. "I think a break is an order."

Kagome looked down at the stack of scrolls at her feet but didn't argue. "Where are we going this time?"

"The gardens."

A frown pinched her features. "But isn't that too close to—"

"I had mentioned another that may benefit from your arrangement with Bokuseno."

Kagome immediately perked up. The topic hadn't come up since they'd returned to his home, but she'd been itching to ask him about it. "You weren't sure it could handle my power."

"Hnn." He led her toward his quarters, then out a side door into his private garden—at least, she assumed it was private, with the walls of ivy separating them from the rest of the world. "I was unsure if it could handle the potency of your power, but given our recent skirmishes, I will be able to handle any surges."

She relaxed at that; the last thing she wanted was to kill one of his prized plants, youkai or otherwise. They walked over a small bridge, a stream surrounding what appeared to be a small island, a wisteria sapling at its centre. Kneeling in front of it, Kagome placed her hands on the ground; the roots were shallow but stable, and taking a deep breath—and a nod from Sesshoumaru—she sent the recesses of her power into the soil.

The sapling shuddered, not used to the flood of reiki, but after realizing she wasn't a threat, it started to soak up the offering, branches extending as if moving forward in time. Kagome kept her power tapered, knowing the amount she'd given Bokuseno would be too much, a smile tugging at her lips when the first glimpse of lavender sprouted between whisps of green.

Sesshoumaru's hand on her shoulder, and his power sliding down her arm, had she shuddering to a stop. It wasn't the typical amount she was used to expelling, but it was enough to keep her powers in check. She grabbed his hand to steady herself, squeezing his fingers in thanks as she bowed to the tree.

"I look forward to working with you in the future," she whispered, her smile widening as the branches swayed in return.

She could get used to this.