Her Destiny

Chapter 16

They traveled quickly through the sky as they were making their way back to the Western Lands. Kagome was still asleep in the youkai lord’s arms as they traveled.

Inutaisho was concerned for Kagome. She was whimpering and rubbing her face into his chest while she slept. Again, he marveled at how much she mimicked an Inu Youkai. It was normal for a pup to do this when they were weak or in pain as they were seeking comfort from the parent.

Inutaisho looked down and noticed that Kagome’s energy was still low. He figured she expended more energy than she had to get rid of the curse. His aura flared slightly, channeling some of his energy into her body to strengthen her. He couldn’t give her very much, because he was using the majority of his energy to take them back to the Western Lands.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and then felt the gentle flow of energy being given to him. He looked up from his little one to see that Sesshoumaru was providing him with the extra energy to give to Kagome.

Sesshoumaru noticed that something was wrong with Kagome. He saw how weak she was and the way she was acting with his father. He watched as his father flared his aura to strengthen his intended, but, he observed that what he gave her was not much.

Sesshoumaru figured that his father couldn’t provide her with more energy because he was taking them back home and that is where his energy was being expended.

He gave a gentle squeeze on his father’s shoulder, letting him know that he was going to help him as he gently channeled some of his youki to his father. It was not the flare of power like before, but a gentle flow from him to his father so he could give it to Kagome.

The process seemed to work as Kagome settled down and was resting comfortably in his father’s arms.

Inutaisho continued to give Kagome the energy she needed until it was up to a level that she sustained. She was awake in his arms, fighting the sleep that her body wanted as she forced herself to stay awake.

He leaned down to her ear as he whispered his spell. Like all pups, she was fighting the sleep that would heal her and didn’t want to rest. Putting her to sleep made it easy on everyone as she regained her energy.

The spell will be broken once she was strong enough to break it. All they had to do was make sure that she stayed in one place to be protected until she awakened.

After an hour and a half, they finally made it back to the castle. They were looking for Ayashiko to see how Inuyasha was doing. Inutaisho was worried about his youngest son since he was hurt during the attack on the castle. He knew that his mate would take care of him and protect him viciously until he was feeling better.

He has Kagome to thank for still having his son with him. On his way back to the castle, Sesshoumaru explained what happened out in the training field. Inutaisho’s anger grew, knowing that a kuro miko was now after his pup. He has Jakyoku to thank for that, he was sure that she was the same kuro miko that he spoke to, that his spies informed him about.

He followed his nose until he found his mate in Inuyasha’s room. She was sitting by his side as he walked into the room with Kagome still in his arms, while Sesshoumaru followed closely behind him.

Sango and Kirara decided to stay outside of the room, she felt out of place when the family was together.

Inutaisho looked at this mate with concern in his eyes, “How is he? Is he still hurt?”

Ayashiko picked up on the scent of her mate when he finally came back home. He has finally returned from wherever Kagome took off to. Once the battle was over the soldiers informed her that the lord and her son had taken off after Kagome. She had no idea where they went, but she knew that her mate would get her Musume back.

She looked up as she saw her mate enter their son’s room and heard his question. She looked into his eyes and smiled, “He is fine. He is just resting for the moment. He woke up this morning and had something to eat, and then he laid back down to rest. I think he is still exhausted from everything that happened to him yesterday.”

Ayashiko then turned her attention to her pup, concern clearing marring her features, “What’s wrong with Kagome? Is she hurt?”

Inutaisho looked at the pup in his arms and then turned to his mate, “No, she is not hurt, there was a curse put on her and it took all of us to break it. It was powerful and if we couldn’t break it, she would have died from it. Right now she is just tired and is resting.”

Ayashiko became alarmed when she heard that her pup had been placed under a curse. She quickly got up from her son’s side and went over to her pup. She looked at her and took in her scent to make sure that she was not affected by the curse. Other than Kagome just smelling like she was tired, her scent was the normal beautiful scent she always had.

Ayashiko reached up and gently stroked her Musume’s cheeks as she slept. She smiled sweetly at her, “Koiishi you should put her to bed so she can rest properly. Then later we can discuss the presentation that is going to happen in the next couple of weeks.”

Inutaisho looked at his mate and there was something in her eyes that was telling him, something was wrong. He sighed and then said, “Yes, you are right my mate. Let me put her in her room so she can rest, then we can talk.”

Inutaisho turned and left Inuyasha’s room, he went across the hallway, with Sango following closely behind him, and entered Kagome’s room. He walked over to her bed while Sango quickly went over and pulled the sheets and blanket down so he could lay Kagome down.

Inutaisho leaned down to put Kagome on her bed but when he made to straighten up, he found that she still had a death grip on his haori. Sango help him to pry her fingers from his haori so he could leave. It took some time to open her fingers so she could let go of him but they finally succeeded. Once he saw that his little one was resting comfortably, he turned to Sango, “Sango can you stay with Kagome until she awakens?”

Sango bowed deeply to him stating, “It will be an honor milord.”

Satisfied with Sango answer, he left the room as he went back to his mate to see why she was so upset.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru watched as his father left with his intended to put her in her room. He turned as he looked at his brother and walked over to his sleeping form.

Ayashiko watched with curious eyes as she saw her elder son walk over to his brother. In all the years since she has given birth to Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru has never shown any interest towards his brother. She watched to see what he was going to do.

Sesshoumaru walked over to his brother and sat down next to him on his bed. He reached out with his hand and moved some of the hair that was covering his little brother’s face.

He took a deep breath of his brother’s scent trying to see if there was a curse on him as well. Sesshoumaru didn’t smell anything that might make Inuyasha sick or the lingering aroma of a curse that might have been placed on him. His scent was normal, the only thing he noticed was that his energy level was low but other than that he looked and smelled fine. He was glad that the youkai did not hurt him in any way and that his intended healed any wounds he had.

He took his hand as he rubbed the back of his fingers against his brother’s cheek and watched him start to stir.

Inuyasha felt someone rubbing his cheek as he started to wake up. He was confused on who it might be, because it didn’t feel like his mothers touch. He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head toward the one that was caressing his cheek. He noticed that it was his brother who was sitting next to him.

He smiled a warm smile as he looked at his older brother, “Fluffy! You’re back. Did you find Kagome? Is she all right?”

Sesshoumaru was irritated that his brother called him fluffy again, but when he heard his question, his anger left, “Yes, father and I found her, she is now home with us.”

Inuyasha gave him a big smile as he said before he fell asleep again, “I knew you would find and protect her, because I can tell that you love her. Take care of her Sesshoumaru she is very special.”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes grew big when his brother called him by his proper name. He has never called him by his given name before. Then to hear his observations about his behavior got him irritated as he growled and stood on his feet. He didn’t think that anyone knew of his plans, but it seemed that he was mistaken. If his brother could see it, then everyone else could.

Sesshoumaru turned to leave when he finally noticed that his mother was standing there in the room with them. His cheeks burned with embarrassment as he turned and looked away from his mother, as he made his silent retreat, leaving the room. He had to go and think for a while; if everyone knew of his plans then he was in for it. He wanted his intensions kept secret until the tournament, but it seemed that his family knew him all too well and now everyone knows of his intentions.

He walked out of the castle and headed towards the garden. He found his favorite tree as he sat down and closed his eyes. The tree was heavily saturated in Kagome’s scent and he could finally relax, after what transpired in the past few days.

He thought about everything that happened, but most of all, he thought about what Midoriko told him. Her words were still ringing in his ears, as were the words from his inner beast. He knew now that his normal way of acting around other people will not be suitable behavior for Kagome. He has to be more open with her and show his emotions if he truly wanted a life bond with her.

He continued to think about what he had to do and his opponents for the girl’s affection. He was sure that he was going to have a big fight on his hand. Yes there will be some minor lords present at the presentation, but the ones he has to keep his eyes on were Yuzuru and Sasagawa. They were the son’s to the lord of the North and East. They were very powerful and were the only one’s that could give him a run for his money. He will have to start training again because he needed to get stronger. He knew that his time was effectively running out.

---oOo---

Ayashiko had been watching the interactions between her sons. When she heard what her youngest said, she had to stifle a laugh. She never knew that her youngest son was that observant of his brother. It appeared that Inuyasha looked up to his older brother and wanted very much to be like him.

She heard Sesshoumaru's growl as he stood and then turned to find her still in the room. The look on his face was priceless as he blushed a deep red, side stepped her, and left the room. She couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips as she looked at her youngest son. Inuyasha has a way of making everyone see their inner most desires.

She heard a noise behind her. She turned and looked up to see her mate standing in the doorway, waiting for her. She walked over to Inuyasha and kissed him on the forehead as she left the room following her mate down to his study. There were things that they needed to discuss.

Once they were in the study Inutaisho turned to his mate, “What’s wrong? Did something happen while I was gone?”

Ayashiko went and sat down on a pillow as she took a deep breath and started to relay what transpired, “When you went after Kagome a messenger came here with a message from the spies who are located by Jakyoku. They say that he is getting ready for an all out attack against us and that he is coming after Kagome. He has only revealed a small portion of what his plans are going to be and they have outlined his forces for you in that scroll.”

Inutaisho looked down and saw a scroll sitting on his desk; he reached for it and then unrolled it to see what it had to say. The letter was a detail explanation of everything that was going to happen, but they have no way of telling him when they will be attacking.

He looked up at his mate, you could clearly see the frustration in his eyes, “It looks like they will be attacking with a large force. Akira has detailed the size of the armies and its capabilities but he does not know when they are going to attack. We have to make preparations before they get here. I want to make sure that we are able to protect Kagome and Sesshoumaru.”

Ayashiko agreed with his evaluation of the situation, “With the pending attack I have decided to push the formal introduction for Kagome to 10 days from now. Everyone has already been notified of the date change and I have already received word that they will be attending. I still have to tell Kagome and I’m afraid she is going to be upset that the introduction is going to be sooner than what she anticipated.”

Inutaisho had to agree with his mate, Kagome will be upset but there was nothing that they could do right now. He needed to get her mated as soon as possible. “We have to make sure that the place we have selected for Sesshoumaru is ready. I want to show him the location of it before the tournament so he can go there once he dominates Kagome. I will have to set up the protection barriers and concealment spells around the area.”

“The place is already finished. Once I decided to move the ceremony up, I had the workers hurry and finish the area.” Ayashiko said with a smile on her face. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw her mate expression.

Inutaisho was again amazed at his mate. He knew that she could plan anything but this was amazing. She has managed to change the date of the presentation, inform everyone that needed to know, got confirmation back that they will attend on the new date, and now Sesshoumaru’s retreat has been completed. He walked over to his mate as he held her in his arms, nuzzling her on her neck, “You never cease to amaze this Inutaisho.” He gave her a gentle lick on the neck before releasing her.

He held his hand out to her as she took it and they both walked out of the study together. They looked like a young couple in love as he tucked her against his side and held her around her waist. She was the love of his life and he didn’t know what he would do without her.

They both left the castle as they walked deeper into the forest. They were heading towards the backside of the castle as they continued going through the forest. They stopped when they got to a barrier. Inutaisho chanted a spell that will let them enter the sanctuary.

When they stepped through the barrier, he was amazed at what he saw. There was a very large house sitting there in the middle of the forest. There were several buildings on both sides of the main structure that were linked together by raised walkways to form this structure.

In the front of the house, there was a beautiful garden with every type of flower imaginable planted there, perfectly arranged and trimmed to give it a pristine look. Sakura trees surrounded the house on the sides and back. You could see how the sun was shinning down on the house as it gently caressed it with its warmth.

He noticed the servants rushing around trying to get everything in order before the presentation. As they walked up to the house, the servants greeted them, as they continued with their duties.

The first part of the house they went through was a small but formal sitting room. It contained some overstuffed pillows, which were placed around the room to make it more formal if they were to entertain in the house. Smaller pillows were also strategically placed around the larger ones to give it an elegant look.

There were tables with vases on them that depicted the long gone ruling lords of the west in the various colors of reds, blues, and white. There was a rather large deep blue rug with golden sakura blossoms in it, sitting in front of the fireplace. Many overstuffed pillows, of various colors like blue and gold, were set in the middle of the rug so you could sit and relax, while the fire kept you warm.

Scented oil lamps were set all around the room, when the night approached you could light them for a more romantic feeling to the room. Ayashiko made sure that the scent would be pleasing to their son as she ordered the scent of roses infused into the oil. She knew that Kagome would find it pleasing as well.

The room itself was painted in rich earth tone colors of beige and white. It was beautiful to look at and there was a peaceful feeling to it. They continued walking to the next room as they entered the formal dining room. It was not as big as the main castle but it was still just as elegant. It contained a low table made of dark cherry wood with big red cushions to sit upon while you dined. It was set for two people and not more than that.

They left that room as they found the bedchambers. The room was huge. The walls were painted in a light blue. The futon was covered in a large royal blue comforter, and there was a crescent moon right in the middle of the comforter along with sakura blossoms made of gold.

The curtains hanging around the bed were a darker blue with birds in flight running across the bottom of the material. There were many pillows that were placed on the bed in gold, blue, black, and white. You could see just one or two pillows that were red to give it just enough color.

There were two wardrobes made of dark cherry wood. On the sides of the wardrobes there were two Inu Youkais carved in their true forms, each one represented a distant Lord of the past for the west.

On Sesshoumaru’s wardrobe there was a two tailed Inu that was carved into his doors. They represented his Hiijiji. Inutaisho was positive that his son would accept the power of his line in order to protect his mate and to dominate her.

He knew that Kagome was going to be difficult because of the era she was raised in. From what she has told him, women in that era were treated like equals, to a male. This surprised him, but, he felt that females deserved the honor of being treated as equals. His mate was one of the few female youkai to hold his respect. Ayashiko gave him the respect he deserved as the alpha of his pack, but he always welcomed her council when she has concerns.

The wardrobes have already been filled with Sesshoumaru and Kagome’s clothes. His mate thought of everything that they would need.

He turned as he looked around the room and something near the bed caught his eye. He walked over to it as his eyes opened wide when he saw the chains and shackles attached to the wall. He could tell that the chains have been enchanted as he turned to his mate, “Ayashiko, why are these shackles here?”

Ayashiko turned away from the servant she was speaking to as she looked at her mate. When she saw what he was talking about she smiled, “My how easy you forget my mate. Do you remember the first time I went into heat?”

Inutaisho stood there for a moment as he thought back to the first time his mate went into heat. His eyes opened wide when he remembered how she got before he took her. He had to use shackles similar to these, as he turned his attention back to his mate and smiled, “So you think that Kagome will go into heat while they are together?”

“I don’t think Koiishi, I know she will go into heat while she is here. Kagome is fighting her body right now, trying to prevent what is coming. But the question is how long can she fight it?” Ayashiko stated as she eyed her mate.

Inutaisho didn’t know how bad Kagome’s heat really was and she was trying to tell him that it will kill her if she didn’t get a mate and soon.

Inutaisho now understood the gravity of the situation. The only thing that he hoped for was, that his son would be the one that will dominate her in the end and not someone else. If it was another male, he had no doubt that his little one would fight and win the match. He knew that Kagome held some feelings for his son and would be a little more submissive with him, well at least he hoped so.

They walked towards the door that was sitting to the right of the wardrobe as he entered the indoor hot springs. The color of the room was in different shades of green. There was a wash area off to the left of the room with a long white bench. Sitting next to the bench was a large tub that held warm water in order to wash before entering the spring.

There were many small white pots sitting on the shelf that was next to the tub. These contained all manner of soaps for the hair and body. There were lotions there too that will keep your skin from getting too dry and make it feel like rose petals.

He continued to walk into the room as he stepped over to the hot springs. There were plants three quarters of the way around the spring. These plants thrived in the warm air that was created by the spring. Smooth stones were placed around the spring and if you looked into the crystal clear water, you will see the submerged rocks that you could sit upon and just relax in the water.

Ayashiko joined her mate as they continued to walk out of the bathing chambers. They headed for a door that was located at the rear of the chamber as they stepped outside. There was another garden in the back but this one has a waterfall as the centerpiece for the garden. You could hear the gentle splashing of the water as it fell from the top of the cliff, to rest in the spring down below.

Roses were the focal point to this garden and when you walked among them you would relax with the wonderful scents they created. Inutaisho found a perfect red rose as he cut it from the bush. He smelled its sweet fragrance and then took off the thorns by using his claws. He turned as he placed it in his mate’s hair, hooking it on her right ear as he looked at her beauty. She was still the gorgeous youkai he mated over 500 years ago. Her beauty was unmatched in all the land and she was his.

He turned from the picture of his perfect mate as he concentrated on the area. He chanted his spells and incantations as he placed barriers all around the area. His spells included a concealment spell to make sure no one found this place. He wanted his pups safe from everyone and he knew he had to make it as private as possible for his son or he would go away with Kagome and will not returned until she submitted completely to him.

He has no idea how long it will take them to mate because each mating was different. It depended on how strong the female was and whether she was willing to submit. He didn’t think that his son would force Kagome into a mating because he wanted a true-life bond with his soul mate.

He has to make sure that he tells his son what to expect from Kagome. If he didn’t, he will be caught off guard. A female that has been freshly marked and not mated yet, will run into problems with other males if she escaped from her mate to be.

Males tend to seek out couples that are in the process of mating. The female is dazed and is confused on what she wants. If another male steps in they could mate and mark her before her selected mate finds them, thus ruining the union between them.

He was only giving his son female servants to take care of the house, that way he will not be threatened. He knew that they didn’t need very many and he has just the right ones for the job. A few of the servants from the kitchen requested to serve here if Sesshoumaru and Kagome stayed at the house.

Once he was done with his spells his mate cast her own spells around the area. Satisfied that everything was set correctly they both walked away knowing that they have a safe haven for his son and his little one to go to once the courting commenced. Now for the hard part, to tell Kagome and Sesshoumaru that the presentation has been moved up to ten days from now.

---oOo---

In the northern mountain range there was an Inu Youkai that was in a fit of rage as he destroyed parts of the countryside. He was in his true form and was currently destroying the valley he was in. Nothing was safe from his wrath because he has gone into a blood rage.

The giant black Inu ran wildly through the area, killing anything that got in his way. Though he was huge, he was still not as big as Inutaisho in his true form. Youkai and ningens alike were killed because of his rage as he continued destroying the area. The ningens could not put up a defense against the youkai as they were slaughtered. The youkais in the area challenged him before he quickly took them down with just a swipe of his claws.

The generals from Jakyoku’s army stood out of harms way as they watched their lord destroy the valley. He has been in a fit of rage since his spies came back and reported that the kuro miko has gone after his intended mate.

They all breathed easier when they were told that the miko was still alive and that she almost dealt a killing blow to the kuro miko. It took a couple of days for their lord to finally get over his rage. He returned back into his ningen form as he stared at his generals.

He took a deep breath as he calmed down. He needed to keep his head together but he was going to make sure that the kuro miko, Akurei, met with her demise. He looked at his generals, eyes still red with rage, “I want our best assassins to go after the kuro miko and kill her. No one breaks a deal with me to go and kill what is mine. Then gather our soldiers and train them hard, we are going to be moving to take the Western Lands. It will be a full out attack and I want the miko captured alive am I understood!”

All of the generals gave their acknowledgement of his orders as they left their lord alone. No one wanted to be killed because he was still very angry at that infernal kuro miko who went after his miko.

Jakyoku stood outside the cave where his clan was located as he looked up at the setting sun. His eyes was still red with rage, ‘You have made your last mistake, Akurei. I will find and kill you for going after what is mine. The miko didn’t kill you but has left you weak and easy prey for my men. They will enjoy tearing your body apart for your transgression.’

A small smile formed on his lips as he looked up at the sky. ‘The miko has proven to be a worthy mate. She is powerful in her own right and I will enjoy breaking her to my will. She will learn her place among my clan and will stay forever by my side. We will rule this land together and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Prepare yourself Inutaisho, your days as ruler of the west is coming to an end.’ With that an evil laughter escaped his lips as you could hear him laughing at his evil thoughts.

---oOo---

Akurei appeared in the middle of a forest. She was weak and she was hurt from fighting that damn miko. The girl proved to be stronger than she thought and it cost her plenty.

Her once black as night hair was now grey in color. Her smooth white porcelain skin was now wrinkled and weathered. She looked like she was in the last stages of her life. She was having a hard time keeping the youkais locked within her body. They were another source of her strength and power, but one that she kept secret.

She stood on shaky legs as she made her way into the forest. She needed to find other miko’s so she could get her powers back, and once she did, she was going after that girl again. She was not about to let her prey get away from her. She needed that miko’s blood in the worst ways. She was the answer to all her problems and she was going to have her blood as her own.

Akurei was lucky, she landed near a village, which has a strong miko that was its protector. She formed a plan in her mind as she sent out a horde of youkais to attack the peaceful village. When the miko came to fight the youkais, she will be waiting for her.

She watched from the shadows of the forest as the miko battled the youkais she released. When the battle was finally over, she stepped out of the shadows and confronted the miko that was now on her knees.

---oOo---

Suki was in the village tending to the sick when the alarm was given that youkais were attacking. She grabbed her bow and two quivers of arrows as she headed toward the forest to confront the youkais. Usually, she has no problems getting the youkais to leave the village alone, but this time, she had a bad feeling that these youkais will not listen to reason.

Suki pulled an arrow from her quiver as she brought her bow forward and notched in place. “Stop right there, what do you want with this village?” Suki yelled, as she got ready to shoot her arrow.

Suki saw as the youkais continued to run toward the village as she let her arrow fly. It killed about five youkais as she continued to fire her arrows in order to protect the village.

By the time Suki was done killing all of the youkais, she was exhausted. She fell to her knees breathing hard. Then that’s when she felt it. There was a kuro miko in the area and she cursed under her breath for not detecting her earlier. She would not have left herself so weak if she knew about her.

Suki struggled to stand, but found that her legs were weak from the battle, as she eyed the kuro miko coming out of the forest. She looked into her dark eyes, and she didn’t like what she saw, “What do you want here? Leave this place before you meet your death.”

Akurei laughed an evil laughter as she looked at the miko that was on the ground. Akurei knew that the miko was weak but that didn’t matter to her. What mattered was that she was strong for a miko and that her potion was going to work well with this one’s blood. Akurei held her head high, “Miko, I could care less about what you say. I come here for one purpose only and that is to get your blood.”

Suki opened her eyes wide at her comment. ‘This woman is mad! She wants my blood? What could she possibly do with my blood?’ Suki didn’t have time to ponder this as the kuro miko attacked her.

Akurei sent a ball of dark energy toward her target. The miko didn’t have time to react as she was hit by the dark energy. That ball of energy took all of her remaining strength as she collapsed on the ground. Her breathing slowed almost to a stop as she looked at the one that attacked her. Suki was trying hard to fight against death, but in the end, she could not and succumbed to her fate.

Akurei walked up to her victim as she pulled out a small jar from within the folds of her kimono. The jar has a dark green liquid inside as she took the miko’s hand and then cut her wrist. She allowed the blood to flow into the jar as it mixed with her potion. Once it was mixed, she drank it all in one gulp.

Akurei immediately felt rejuvenated as her hair started to turn back to its original color. Her skin became young again, as she took a deep breathe with her rejuvenated lungs. She chanted a spell as she pulled the Reiyouku from the miko’s body and it entered her own. Now she has her powers back and she felt stronger than before. This miko was truly powerful and she felt young again.

She pulled out a couple of jars from her robes and then put the miko’s blood in them. She needed the extra blood to seal the Reiyouku inside her body or else she would lose the new power that she gained. When she was done, Akurei left the area, leaving the pathetic ningen village to mourn the death of their miko. She had the miko’s blood and that’s all that mattered to her.

Akurei was traveling back to her forest. She wanted to get the potion ready that will make her an immortal. The last ingredient that she will need, was the miko’s blood and then she will have everything that she ever wanted, beauty and immortality.

---oOo---

To say that Kagome was upset was an understatement. The news that her presentation was going to be in less than 10 days was disturbing. But what really got her upset was that she was told that the battle to dominate her would be a hand-to-hand combat. She was not allowed to use her weapons during the challenge. The fight was to prove to her that the male in question was strong enough on his own to protect her without any special weapons.

Kagome now knew that she has to train even harder in order to win this battle. Hand to hand combat was her weakest subject. Though she knew how to fight, it was nothing like the way these youkais fought on a daily basis.

Kagome was told that she would be able to use her own powers because it was a part of who she was. She will have to learn how to fight with just her hands and use her powers without having something to channel it through. This will proved to be very challenging because she has always practiced with weapons.

Kagome would get up early in the morning and Sango always meet her at her door when she emerged from her room. They would go down together and grab something light to eat before they went out to train. Kagome knew better than to go without eating, Katsuki would find her and then proceed to scold her like a young child.

So in order to pacify the cook they would go down and eat before heading out to train. They would spend the whole day training, only stopping to get something to eat before they continued.

One morning before Kagome and Sango got down to the training field they spotted Lord Inutaisho’s soldiers training in the near distance. Curious at what they were doing they both walked over to the training area to watch their training. They were fighting hand to hand and what Kagome saw, was impressive. She was thinking about asking the general if he would teach her how to fight like them.

Having made up her mind on what she wanted to do, Kagome started to walk down the hill she was standing on. Sango noticed Kagome moving away and grabbed her by the arm, stopping her from going any further, “Kagome what do you think you’re doing? You can’t go down there with all those males. Do you remember the last time you were near that many males?”

Kagome thought back to when the soldiers of the castle attacked her. It was during the start of her heat and she nearly wiped out the garrison. The only reason that she didn’t kill them all was that she collapsed and was being protected until they all left the area.

She looked into Sango’s eyes, seeing the concern in them, as she sighed, “I know Sango but I’m not in heat at the moment and it should be easier on them to control their urges. I want to see if the general will teach me their fighting techniques before the presentation. This is my weakest area and I need to train harder. I know you are a strong fighter but you are no where near as strong as a youkai and I need the practice.”

Sango released her arm because she did have a point. She wasn’t anywhere near as strong as a youkai and she did need the training. They both walked down to the training area and when the soldiers caught their scents, they moved away from Kagome, as they let her approach the center of the circle.

When the girls finally got to the middle of the circle, Kagome noticed that all eyes were on her. She stood her ground as the fighting stopped and the general came towards her. The general was a golden Inu Youkai. You could tell that he has many years under his belt in serving the lord of the lands.

He was very tall but not as tall as Sesshoumaru. He had his almost blonde hair up in a high ponytail on top of his head. His hair was a very light brown in color and it looked very silky if you were to touch it. He had a scar on his right cheek that went from his ear to almost to his jaw line. He was strong and very powerful. His aura radiated heat but it was not as dark as the youkai lord. He wore a dark blue hakama and haori with a slightly lighter juban underneath. He had black boots and carried a sword by his side.

When Dewa turned he saw the lords pup coming his way. He didn’t know what was going on or why she was even near this training field. All he knew was that he needed to get her away from this field. He quickly approached her as he kneeled and asked, “Milady, it is not safe for you to be here. Please leave the area at once.”

Kagome sighed as she said, “Please rise. I wanted to ask you for a favor General Dewa.”

This comment caught him by surprise as he stood and looked into her eyes. There was something there but he couldn’t put his finger on it, “What is the favor that you seek milady.”

“I would like to learn your ways of hand to hand combat. Though I know how to defend myself in a fight, I want to learn your ways as well. Would you be willing to teach me?” Kagome said in the most calming voice she had. She could tell that they were all afraid of what will happen to them if they were caught with her in the field.

Dewa was shocked by her request, “But milady, your moves are far more effective than ours. Why do you want to learn our way of fighting?”

Kagome sighed, frustration was clearly seen on her features as she explained, “You know that the presentation is in a week’s time. I need to get stronger if I am to meet the challenge of a suitable male. I will not be easily taken down.”

Dewa chuckled at her determination to learn as he thought about what to do. He finally got an idea, “Very well milady, I will train you in our ways of battle but in return I would like to learn this type of fighting that you do. I think we will both benefit from it.”

Kagome smiled as she agreed to his request. She turned and left the area when Dewa told her that he will meet her at her training field in about two hours time. Kagome was looking forward to the new training she was going to be receiving from the general.

True to his word, Dewa went over to the young pups training field. He observed as his lords pup was training with her guard. She was fast and a powerful fighter. She was not using her Reiyouku when she was fighting. He thought this was strange as he approached her.

Sango and Kagome have been going at it for the past two hours. Sango was getting tired but Kagome still had plenty of energy to burn. When Kagome sensed that the general was near, she stopped attacking Sango. Sango fell to the ground exhausted and thanked Kami that someone else has arrived to spar with Kagome. Kagome has a lot of endurance and she needed to work off some of her frustrations.

Dewa bowed low to Kagome, “Milady, why did you not use your Reiyouku when you were fighting against the slayer? It would make you more powerful if you did.”

Kagome considered his words carefully before she answered, “The reason I didn’t use my Reiyouku is because I want my body to get stronger. If I keep on using my Reiyouku when I fight, when I really need it, I will not be able to use it. This way my body trains itself to be stronger and I know that I still have enough strength to use my Reiyouku if I have to.”

Dewa was very impressed with her line of thought. It was a good strategy as she was calculating her next move. He turned back to her, “Well what I’m going to be teaching you is our way of fighting hand to hand. You will need your Reiyouku to defend yourself. My youki will come out during this practice and I want to make sure that I don’t hurt you in any way.”

Kagome smiled at him for his concern, “Don’t worry general, I think that I can protect myself against you.”

Dewa raised an eyebrow at her statement, “Do you now. Lets see what you have milady.”

Kagome raised an eyebrow of her own at the youkai standing in front of her, “Before we get started I want you to call me Kagome. I don’t like the honorifics and it makes me feel uncomfortable.”

Dewa agreed to her request as they both got into a fighting stance. Dewa attacked as he went after her. He threw his fist straight into her face as Kagome grabbed his wrist, twisted around, and threw him over her shoulder. He landed about five feet away from her on his back, breathing hard.

He quickly stood as he went after her again. This time he avoided letting her grab his wrist as he swept low and went for her legs. Kagome caught on to what he was doing as she leaped into the air and landed right behind him. She kicked him from behind as he went down again. That was twice now that she managed to kick him to the ground but he has not found anything that she could not counter.

They went on like this for hours until Dewa had a full evaluation of her skills in fighting hand to hand. Once he had this, then he was ready to teach her what she needed to know.
In the last set of attacks, Kagome had to use her Reiyouku to defend herself as her hands started to glow. She put her palms up to prevent his attacks from landing on her and use her strength and power to attack him. She didn’t purify him, she used her powers in a way that didn’t hurt her opponent, but didn’t let her seem weak at the same time.

They finally called a halt to their training as both opponents were breathing hard. For once, Kagome was tired when she finished her training. She looked up at the general and she smiled, “Thank you General Dewa, I had a really good work out today.”

Dewa stood straight as he looked at her, “Yes Kagome, I also had a wonderful workout. But now that I know where your weaknesses are, I can start training you tomorrow, so be prepared.”

Kagome’s eyes grew big when he said that. He was testing her abilities, on her fighting skills? Now she was worried, was she that bad that he wouldn’t tell her how she did. They parted company as Kagome and Sango went to get cleaned up before dinner.

---oOo---

Off in the near distance, a pair of golden eyes was watching what Kagome was doing. He was keeping an eye on her training to make sure that no one hurt her. He was angered when he arrived to see her fighting with his general, but as he watched, his anger slowly started going away.

His little one was proving to be a handful for his general as he saw time after time when he hit the ground while she bested him in the dual. What amazed him the most was that she relied on her strength, not her Reiyouku to fight against an enemy. She was training her body and also her mind.

He decided to let the training go and let Dewa teach her. But she was not going to get out of her training with him. He will teach her how to counter a possession spell to make sure that she was never controlled again. He will have to make sure that she makes time for his training and then train for her hand to hand.

He leaped from the tree he was standing on as he went back to the castle. He was keeping an eye on Sesshoumaru as well. Sesshoumaru was not happy at all when he told him that the presentation was moved up and now he has less than a week to train.

He still needed to have a talk with son because he wanted his son to be prepared for Kagome. His son did not know anything about females, and Kagome will be difficult to dominate.

He had a few ideas on how he could accomplish this since he had to use something similar to this to make his mate submit to him. She was stubborn and very powerful, she always fought him every chance she got. But then he found a way to make her bend to his will and she submitted. Once she did they were mated. He only hoped that his son would take his advice when it came to Kagome.

---oOo---

Kagome was quiet on their way back to the castle. She was thinking about the training she had today with the General. She was wondering what kind of training he would teach her to make her a better fighter. Her only hope was that he could at least improve on what she knew already.

She knew one thing though, she could not let him pin her to the ground. If he ever got her pinned to the ground she will not be able to get out of his hold. That was something that she will have to ask him about, she wanted to see if he would help her break a hold like that.

Dinner was a quiet affair as no one spoke. Kagome never looked at Sesshoumaru as she was thinking about the presentation that was going to be coming soon. She has to be prepared to meet any challenges and she was determined to win against the male that won the right to dominate her. She was not going to bend to any male’s will.

She sensed that Sesshoumaru was tired. She looked up during dinner and peeked at him through her bangs. He looked tired and he was sporting a small scar on the left side of his cheek. She couldn’t understand why he was training so hard. ‘He couldn’t be entering the tournament to win the right to court me could he? Naaa, he doesn’t even like me to begin with so why does he want to court me? As a matter of fact he hates me so there is no way that he could even be interested in me.’

This train of thought upset her as she excused herself from the table and went up to her room. She quickly closed the door behind her as the tears started to flow down her cheek. She looked at the half moon that was visible in the sky as she quietly said, “Will I ever find someone that will love me for who I am. Not for the powers that I possess or for the fact that I could bare them a strong child, but for the love that I can give someone. Am I that ugly that I can’t find a mate on my own?”

“I want a male that can hold me when I’m sad, comfort me when I’m lonely, care for me when I’m sick, and love the children that I will give him. I don’t want a male that will not show their love for me. I want to feel loved and cherished, something that I have never felt before. I don’t think that I will live that long if a male was not caring.”

“I still don’t understand why I must go through this. I just want to leave this place and the only way to leave is to defeat whatever male decides to subdue me. Life is just not fair.”

Unknown to Kagome, there was someone listening to what she was saying just outside her door. Sesshoumaru stood there listening to everything. He noticed the sadness that she held and the start of her tears that were about to fall. He excused himself from the table as he followed to make sure that she would be all right.

When he heard her words, his heart went out to her. ‘I will be the one to show her that I will accept her for who she is. I will show her the love that she is longing for. I will comfort her when she is sad and hold her in my arms to keep her safe. No one will take her from me for she will be mine for all eternity. Tomorrow, I have to go and get her final gift from the village. Then I will have everything I need to begin courting her. I can only hope that she likes the gifts I have acquired for her.’

Sesshoumaru turned as he walked into his room. His room has finally been repaired from when he broke out of it, when Kagome was in danger. He hated being down the hallway, away from Kagome. This way he was closer and he could protect her. Soon she will be with him and she will never leave his side. This idea intrigued him as he smiled one of his most rare smiles before he entered his room.

He was tired today. He has been practicing all day getting ready for the tournament. He was not about to be defeated. Kagome was his and he would fight to the bitter end to have her.

He went to sleep that night thinking about his angel and that soon they will be together. He could finally tell her how he really feels about her. His breast growled at the thought of having his mate. He was being patient, but he will not wait much longer to have her with him. He wanted her and he made sure to let Sesshoumaru know that he was still very much interested in her.

Sesshoumaru finally laid down as he quickly fell asleep after a long hard day.

---oOo---

Kagome continued to train with the general. He was showing her different moves that she could use with what she already knew. He was making her stronger as the days went by and she was thankful for his help.

She in turn showed him some of her moves and how to perform them. He was a quick study and modified the moves for his purpose. She got him to show her how to get out of a choking pin from the ground so at least she knew how to get free if she was caught off guard.

Kagome’s training with the youkai lord was rough. He was ruthless in teaching her how to block mind controlling spells and incantations. By the time she was done at the end of the day she was drained and would fall into an exhausted sleep.

The following morning, once her training was done with the youkai lord, Kagome approached him as she asked in a nervous voice, “Otou-san, I would like your permission to go into your study to read the books in there.”

Inutaisho was surprised to hear this request as he turned to her, “Why do you want to read those books? They are mostly duplicates of the one’s in the main library.”

Kagome looked at her feet as she shuffled them from side to side, “I noticed that you have some books that I have never read before. I still seek knowledge from this era and wish to learn as much as I can.”

Inutaisho thought about her request as he finally said, “I’m sorry Kagome but those books in my study are not for you to read. They are my personnel books and there are things in there that I don’t want you to learn.” He saw the disappointed look in her eyes as she bowed to him, “Thank you anyway. I just thought that I ask.”

Kagome started to turn away from her youbu as she heard him say, “Kagome, tell you what, I will give you permission to go to the nearest village to buy any books you want. There is a festival going on in the village, they have some traveling vendors that might have some new books that you might want. But you must take some guards with you and you are only to go to the nearest village. If I even sense that you are going beyond the limits I have set for you I will come after you and your punishment will be more severe than the last time. Am I understood?”

Kagome was so happy that she just jumped and hugged her youbu, “Oh yes! I will only go to the nearest village. I will take Sango and Kirara with me. May I have your permission to take Ah-Un with me as well? They have been locked up since our return and I know they would like to stretch their legs.”

Inutaisho laughed as he gave her his permission. Kagome quickly turned to leave, she was going to find Sango before he had a change of heart. But before she could take two steps away from him she heard him say, “Kagome, aren’t you forgetting something?”

Kagome stopped as she turned to her youbu, her eyebrows knitted together in thought, “What did I forget?” Inutaisho reached into his haori and pulled out a small pouch that contained coins and gave it to her, “You need money to buy things.” She smiled as she took the pouch, then turned and raced back to the castle to find Sango so they could go to the village.

Inutaisho knew that she would be safe with Sango but he wanted to make sure that she had back up in case she was attacked. He pulled a soldier off to the side as he told him to take a couple of soldiers with him and follow her to make sure she stayed safe.

It has been a long time since he has seen her truly happy and it felt good to see her this way. He would have to make a conscious effort to let her out more often. Her being happy was the most important thing to him at the moment.

---oOo---

Kagome raced into the castle as she went up to Sango’s room. She quickly knocked on the door as her friend opened it. She smiled and said in an excited voice, “Sango! Lord Inutaisho gave me permission to go to the nearest village and see the festival that is there. He gave me money so I can buy some books and anything else I want.”

Sango couldn’t believe what she was hearing, “Are you sure he gave you permission Kagome? Remember what happened the last time we went out. We got punished for leaving the castle grounds.”

Kagome looked at her friend as she raised the pouch in her hand and jiggled it right in front of Sango’s face, “Yes he gave me permission to go and take you, Kirara, and Ah-Un with me. Give me a few minutes to get changed and then we can go. We can’t go beyond the village but at least he is letting me out to explore the nearest village.”

Sango has never seen Kagome so happy before. She could tell that she was telling the truth so she agreed to wait until she washed and changed.

It didn’t take Kagome that long to get cleaned up and change her clothes. When she walked out of her room she was wearing a red kimono that had a dragon going down the right leg. The kimono had two slits one on each side of her leg to allow her ease of moment. She wore a white juban and red hakama that were closely cut. They were almost form fitting but they were loose enough to fight in if she had to. She carried her weapons with her as they both left the castle to go to the village.

Kagome was riding on Ah-Un and Sango was on Kirara as they left the safety of the castle to go shopping. The girls felt giddy for the first time in a long while as they traveled to the nearest village. It wasn’t that far as they landed near the village. Kagome told Ah-Un to stay in the forest until she called for them. They were happy to obey because they were at least out of that stuffy stable for a while.

The girls had fun, as they looked at all the stuff that the merchants were selling. Kagome found all the books she could ever want in one of the vendor’s stalls. It was a good thing that she put saddlebags on Ah-Un or they would never be able to carry all the stuff she brought.

They continued to walk around when Kagome spotted something silver in the near distance. Wondering what it could be, she made her way over to the place she had seen the silver. What she saw, shocked her as she felt her heart give a lurch.

There standing in front of her was Sesshoumaru with another female Inu. She was attached to his arm and was dragging him into this place that she didn’t recognize. When he disappeared into the house, she turned to Sango and asked, “Sango, what is that place over there?”

Sango did not see what Kagome just witnessed as she turned to look at the place that her friend was pointing to. When she saw what it was, a scowl came upon her face, “That’s the local whorehouse. Every village has one.”

Kagome’s heart just dropped. She had just seen Sesshoumaru go into that place and now she knew what he was going to do. Tears started to form in her eyes as she felt the need to leave the area, “Sango lets go back. I’m starting to get tired.”

Sango noticed the sadness in Kagome’s eyes. She could tell that she was upset about something, “Kagome is anything wrong?”

Kagome shook her head no as she made her way back to Ah-Un. Once she was on the dragon they both took off heading back to the castle as the guards that were sent to protect them followed along on the ground.

When they finally got back to the castle she was greeted by Lord Inutaisho, “Well how was the shopping? Did you find some new books to read?”

Kagome tried to hold on to her tears but she was failing miserably, “Yes, I found everything that I wanted. Thank you for letting me go.” She then turned and rushed back into the castle. She was leaving the scent of tears in the air as she went.

Inutaisho was upset. He thought that letting her go to the nearest village and giving her a little freedom would make her happy, but his pup came back crying and he was at a lost for words. He turned to Sango wanting some answers, “Sango why is Kagome so upset?”

Sango was confused at the way Kagome was acting, “I don’t know milord. We were having fun just being in the village. She brought some books and some other things that she liked, then she asked me what this house was down in the village and I told her it was the local whorehouse. She became upset and we came back.”

Inutaisho thought this to be strange as he walked back into the castle to see if he could talk to his little one. He reached her room and stopped outside her door. He could hear her crying her heart out as she was saying, “How could he do that? I thought that he at least liked me and that he was training for the challenge but I guess I was wrong. Kami I want to leave this place.”

Now this was interesting, who was Kagome talking about. Whoever it was upset her so much that she came back to the castle early. He sensed his elder son coming back as he made his way outside. When his son landed he walked up to him, “Sesshoumaru where were you?”

Sesshoumaru didn’t expect to see his father upon his return and when he asked where he was he had no choice but to tell him the truth. “I was at the village.”

Inutaisho opened his eyes wide at his son’s proclamation, “You weren’t by the local whorehouse where you?”

Now Sesshoumaru was getting upset. How did his father know where he was? “Father why are you asking me all of these questions?”

Inutaisho got irritated because whenever his son asked him a question in return he knew he has been to the place he was talking about. “I gave Kagome permission to go to the village today. She came back upset because of something she saw there. Sango didn’t see what she witnessed but if I were to guess she saw you going into the whorehouse. Sesshoumaru, Kagome has feelings for you whether you know it or not. This could cause her to reject your suit.”

Sesshoumaru was upset. Yes he was there but not for the reason that his father was accusing him of. “Yes father, I was at that establishment but it was not for the reasons you think. I went there to retrieve the present I commissioned for Kagome. I plan on winning the competition and making her my mate.”

Inutaisho’s eyes grew big as he heard his son’s words. He knew he raised him well but the fact still remained that Kagome saw him going into that place and was now upset. He turned to his son and said, “I don’t know how to fix this. She saw you going into that place and now she thinks the worse of you. I know that I raised you better than that, but she doesn’t know you as well as I do.”

Sesshoumaru was being torn apart on the inside. His inner Inu wanted to go after the girl to explain, but he couldn’t make his intensions known to her at the moment. It was not allowed to let his intended mate know of his interest. That’s what the presentation was for, at that time he was going to make sure she understood what his intensions where to her and how much she meant to him. But the presentation was a couple of days away and he couldn’t approach her on the matter.

Inutaisho was thinking hard he didn’t know how to make this better. He thought about going to his mate and telling her what happen, maybe she could do something that will not turn Kagome completely against his son.

Inutaisho looked at the worried expression on his son’s face, “Sesshoumaru I will speak with your mother. She might be able to talk to Kagome and tell her that what she saw was not what she is thinking. She can make her understand about our ways but before I see her, I want you to come with me. I have something that I want to show you.”

Sesshoumaru agreed to his request as he followed his father to the back part of the castle. They went into the forest as Sesshoumaru was wondering where they were going. They stopped as his father said and incantation and the barrier opened up for him. When they stepped through the barrier Sesshoumaru could not believe his eyes.

If Sesshoumaru didn’t know any better, it looked like a retreat. The house was big but it was in a very private area of the forest. His father spells and incantations protected and concealed this place. Inutaisho took him around and showed him everything on the inside and out. When they were done looking around, Sesshoumaru turned to his father and questioned, “Father, why did you bring me here?”

Inutaisho looked at his son with a raised eyebrow, “What do you think of this place? Could it be somewhere that you would bring your intended to, once you dominate her?”

Sesshoumaru was shocked to hear what his father was saying but as he thought about his question, he finally answered, “Yes, this would be a place that I could bring my intended to. It’s peaceful and quite. There are only female servants here and not that many to really bother me. But why are you asking me this?”

“Sesshoumaru, where are you going once you dominate your intended? Have you even thought about what will happen once you dominate her? I know that you want to go somewhere that you can have time to get to know her. A place that she will not have the chance to escape until you convince her that you are the mate that she wants.” Inutaisho said as he looked at the expression on his son’s face. He thought as much, Sesshoumaru has not planned where he will take his mate once the challenge was over.

Inutaisho took a deep breath and continued, “Your mother and I have built this place with you in mind. We knew that you will want a place where you will have some private time with your intended as you get to know her a little better.”

“But I want to give you some advice Sesshoumaru. I have been through this before so take it from someone who knows. Kagome is different from any other females from these lands. She was raised in an era, which is very different than ours. She will fight you tooth and nail not to be dominated, but she holds feelings for you so she might be receptive to the idea and let you subdue her.”

“I know that it’s hard for you to show your emotions but you must show her that you care and will love her for the rest of her life. Only then will she fully accept you. She will be new to the mating ritual and you must take it slow with her. She thinks that our ways of doing things is wrong and she will not understand.”

“Even after you inject her with a small amount of your poison it will take time for her to recover from it, but her body must have the immunity from our poison. Keep her safe, show her kindness, and she will respond to that.”

“She might also go into heat when she spends any amount of time with you. When a female goes into heat, they become very violent. Your fight to dominate her will seem easy compared to when she goes into heat. There are special chains in your bedchambers that will keep her here under your control. Because if she ever escapes from you and another male finds her, you might lose her if he mates her before you can get to her. She is very vulnerable during this time and her body will dictate to her what to do.”

Sesshomaru was shocked to hear all of this from his father. He didn’t think that his mother and father would go through such length to provide a place for him to be safe with his intended. The information that his father provided him was priceless. He never knew so much could go wrong during their mating.

Inutaisho looked at his son while he was speaking. He knew that he was taking in everything he was telling him to heart. But he had one more piece of information that he had to tell him. “Sesshoumaru there is something else that you should know about Kagome, no one knows this information except your mother and Sango.”

Sesshoumaru head shot up as he heard his father’s words, ‘What could mother and the Taijiya know about Kagome that I don’t know already?’

Inutaisho now had his son’s full attention as he continued. “You once asked me where I hid the Shikon No Tama in case we came under siege, so more than one person knew what to guard.” He saw his son nod his head yes as he continued, “The Shikon No Tama is Kagome. She is the Shikon in ningen form. When I first brought her here to this castle I stopped by the slayer village to make sure the jewel and Midoriko’s sword were still safe.”

“Kagome possessed the same sword that Midoriko had. But when I got there the sword and jewel were in the same place where I left them. When Midoriko appeared, she told me that Kagome was her daughter. She also said that she was the Shikon in ningen form. The jewel that existed in this time merged with the girl and Midoriko’s soul along with the souls of the youkais that were in the jewel now reside within Kagome.”

“A mating is needed in order to tame the youkai souls within her. That is why she acts like an Inu. She doesn’t know that she is acting like one because on occasion they will take control, but she will response as an Inu. So take heed my son, she is going to be a hand full when it comes time to mate with her.”

Sesshomaru was shocked, he never in his life thought that the girl would be the Shikon in ningen form. This gave him a better understanding of what he needed to do to subdue her, but it will not be easy. Kagome was a powerful miko and her purification powers were great, but he thought that he had the right spell to protect himself against her attacks, all he has to do is wear her down and then pin her to the ground to make her submit to his will.

Sesshomaru turned to his father, “Thank you for telling me father. I think now I might have a way to defeat her, to make her submit.”

Inutaisho was shocked at his son’s proclamation, “You do? How are you going to defeat her?”

Sesshoumaru smiled a true smile at his father, “Now father, you know that I can never tell you that, but just know that I do have a plan and Kagome will be mine. I will come here with her when I do defeat her because I know it will keep her safe. I just have to explain things to her and tell her that what she saw today is not what she thinks I was doing. You know just as well as I do that we can’t mate until we find the one we have to be with.”

Inutaisho couldn’t help but chuckle. His son was full of surprises. He will not press the issue with his son to find out what he is going to do to make her submit, but if he knew his son, it will be effective.

Now he had to find his mate to see if she would talk to Kagome and make things better between his little one and his pup. Kami, things are getting more complicated as the days pass by and the time for the presentation is at hand.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. Kagome jumped to the wrong conclusion when she saw Sesshoumaru entering the whorehouse. Inutaisho wants to make sure that Kagome and Sesshoumaru are protected while they are courting. But he may have bit off more than he can chew by keeping his pups so close to his mate.

I want to thank a few of you who have pointed out something in my writing that I can improve on. I will look for these in the future and I hope that this chapter was better in context.

For those of you asking about our favorite perverted monk. He will come into the story after Kagome’s and Sesshoumaru’s mating. I would never leave our favorite monk out of a story.

Deehogee thanks for the idea but I have already used that in another story and can’t use it here, but I have something else that will be just as good when the time comes. You all have to be a little patient. I still have a long way to go and this story is not even half way done yet.

In the next chapter the ruling lords gather for the presentation of Kagome. What will happen? Will they accept her as a noble to be able to mate with those of noble birth? Or will they deny her that right and will Sesshoumaru have to look for another mate? You will have to wait and see how Kagome presents herself to the ruling lords. Plus there will be one more villain added to the scores of villains that are after Kagome. That will bring the total to three and the battle will begin to see who will have Kagome in the end.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!