InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Destined Love ❯ chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One

"Miss Kagome! What's wrong?" Sango spun, dropping the bags ingloriously to the stone floor, and immediately had to stifle a fit of laughter.

"What in the seven hells did you do that for?" Kagome snapped. She forced her way out from under a tall, lanky, white-haired frame, glaring daggers the entire time. "This was a nice dress, until you ripped it…" She fiddled with a minuscule tear in the hem of her skirt, face darkened with fury.

"I'm terribly sorry. It was an accident little girl," Inuyasha replied. His tone was about as warm as Antarctica in the winter. I was right; she doesn't remember me at all…

"Don't call me little, you - Inuyasha?" The last word was little more than a breath.

Inuyasha tensed, and he forced down the impulse to jump for joy. She remembers me!

"You're Prince Inuyasha, aren't you? I saw you in that picture with your mom. I had to see it to identify you… My apologies for yelling at you, m'lord." She gave a very slight curtsy. I can't believe it's him! He hasn't changed at all…well, outwardly. He's colder now.

Stupid. I knew she wouldn't remember, Inuyasha berated himself. Then, out loud, "And you must be Kagome, the princess I've heard so much about."

Kagome shook her head. "I'm sorry, m'lord, but you most be thinking about the princess Kagome Higurashi. I'm Kagome Song."

Liar. "Oh, yes… you're here to see that I'm suitable enough for the Princess Higurashi." The white-haired prince's voice was chilled. Behind them, Sango gave a quiet gasp.

Kagome nearly had the same reaction. She'd forgotten about the betrothal. "Yes. But frankly, m'lord, I don't care whether or not you're suitable; duty is duty, and duty comes first."

Inuyasha's face betrayed him, and she almost winced at the crestfallen _expression. "Yes, duty," he parroted darkly. And that's the reason I'll have to marry this bi - princess. Well, it's not like I'll have time for her after we're married anyway…because of my `duties.' How could I have loved this woman anyway? This isn't the Kagome I knew…

"You don't sound as if you like the word," Kagome pointed out.

"It holds mixed connotations for me."

Kagome nodded, digesting this. Then a sudden thought struck her. "Hey, don't you need an heir?"

"Yes, for the sake of my people. Again, just duty. Besides, I want to marry for love, not politics…" Sango gave a discreet cough, and Inuyasha shook himself quickly. "I'm sorry, I'm babbling. Dinner is served in just under half an hour; may I expect to see you there?"

"Yes, you may," Kagome replied. She gave a slight smile.

Inuyasha grinned back. "You know," he mused aloud, "you should smile more often…you really are beautiful when you do that." What? What the hell am I saying? …but she really does…

Kagome froze, obviously uncomfortable, and Inuyasha frowned at himself. The princess caught this and a sudden surge of conscience drove her to explain.

"Oh, er…thank you. It's just that I don't generally get that many compliments, unless someone wants something…yours just caught me off guard."

Inuyasha's grin returned. "Then I suppose I should make it a point to do so more often. Someone as beautiful as you deserves to be complimented." Kagome blushed, and Sango gave another discreet cough.

It's true though, the hanyou told himself. She may be bitchy, but she is just as beautiful as ever…and I wasn't lying when I said I want to marry for love. Nor am I lying when I say I still love Kagome. I just have to make her fall for me…and that won't be easy.

Easier than you think, a familiar voice said.

Sesshoumaru?

Yes, brother. She really does love you. She just has to have time to remember it. You do know that she is your betrothed?

Yes, but…how did you know?

Sesshoumaru chuckled; a deep rolling laughter that had the power to send shivers up even Inuyasha's spine. Have you forgotten that foremost among my considerable arsenal of powers is mind reading? She has no defenses; she is used to being protected. Her deepest thoughts do not reside so deeply as one may think -

"I would advise you, Prince Inuyasha," Kagome said coldly, "not to have conversations such as that one with your brother while I am around. You do not know what kind of a demon I am."

"D-d-demon?" Inuyasha stuttered. "But you don't smell like one!"

"Do I smell human, then?"

Inuyasha gave a tiny, almost unnoticeable sniff, subconscious mind automatically sifting out all of the extraneous smells of pageboys and dinner; there were two demons and one human. The demons he recognized as himself and Sesshoumaru, and the human was Sango…but no Kagome. Well, no human-Kagome or demon-Kagome, anyway. He could smell her, all right, but honeysuckles really weren't the scent he was looking for.

"Er, no. Neither human nor demon…but then, what exactly are you?"

"That is none of your concern, m'lord. And Prince Sesshoumaru, please try to avoid reading my mind in the future. You caught me by surprise this time, but I assure you that in the future things will be different. Sango, you were leading me to my bedchambers…"

"Er, yes, Miss Kagome. This way." The maid picked up the bags, and the two women continued through the halls.

An arm snaked out from behind a corner and clamped around Kagome's upper arm. Sango gave a short screech, but quieted as soon as she realized who the assailant was; Prince Sesshoumaru would do Kagome no harm.

"You should learn your place here," he whispered icily. "And stay in it. Especially in a place such as this, home to two princes and a lady…Princess Kagome."

Kagome glared at him, but her thoughts were in turmoil. Her skin was tingling where his fingers rested, and she could feel the heat rising in her face. Words such as `sexy' and `dangerous' kept floating through her mind. She gave herself a mental slap on the face and shrugged her emotions aside.

"You are mistaken, Prince Sesshoumaru," she replied in an almost identical tone. "I am not the Princess Kagome. I am acting as ambassador for her and her house, and it would do you well not to treat me thus if you would like to see the marriage between Prince Inuyasha and the Princess Kagome carried out."

Sesshoumaru hissed. "Don't lie to me, girl. I read your mind. And I know from your smell…" I know everything about you, he wanted to add, but his naturally closed mind hid his thoughts away. Which was a good thing, since his next thoughts ran along the lines of God, why must she be betrothed to my brother? And why in the seven hells must she love him? It is me she deserves…

Unfortunately, either Kagome was more sensitive to his thoughts than he believed or he'd not masked them as well as usual, because she gasped and tried to pull away from his grasp. But he was the faster; before she could react he'd pulled her into a tight embrace and their mouths met. For a long instant she was frozen in place. But then the warmth of his body seeped into hers, and she fairly melted in his arms.

She's so…warm, Sesshoumaru thought deliriously. And so soft…honeysuckle. She smells like honeysu - Inuyasha's coming! He pushed her away suddenly, already missing her warmth.

Kagome wiped her mouth furiously and spat, "What the hell was that for?"

"Was what for?"

"I, er, stopped her for a short conversation," Sesshoumaru said.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "And you were mad about this?" he asked Kagome.

The princess forced down the fury that was rising in her throat and tried to reply evenly. "Well, yes. I've been trying for almost half an hour to get to my rooms, but no one seems to be willing to allow me to do so."

Kagome.

What do you want? It was Sesshoumaru, she knew.

I must speak with you later.

No. Why?

I need to explain things. Everything.

Later.

They failed to notice that they had been staring blatantly at each other for the duration of this mental conversation.

"Uh, guys?" Inuyasha asked, sweatdropping. "What exactly were you doing?"

"Nothing," Kagome stammered. "He was just…making sure I wouldn't be disturbed, I'm sure."

"Yes," Sesshoumaru agreed hastily…too hastily. Inuyasha raised another eyebrow, but decided not to comment.

"Then perhaps you should allow Miss Kagome to continue to her rooms, my brother," he said instead. "If she expects to be at dinner, she should hurry." Sesshoumaru nodded in acquiescence and stepped away from the princess.

Where shall we meet? he asked.

Nowhere, Kagome snapped. There's nothing to talk about. I have just one request.

Anything, he replied before could stop himself.

Stay away from me!

Sesshoumaru may have done anything for his brother, and he would have moved Heaven and Hell for Kagome, but that didn't mean he was going to listen to her commands. No, he snapped back.

Kagome didn't waste the time to reply. She turned away, pointedly ignoring the two white-haired royals behind her, and gestured for Sango to nab her bags again. Her kimono swished around her ankles as she breezed through the halls, leaving behind her a silently fuming Sesshoumaru and a very confused, sweatdropping Inuyasha.

Even though Sesshoumaru was an expert at controlling his countenance, Inuyasha knew he was furious.

"Hey, Sessh, what gives?" the hanyou asked.

His brother's response was a cold, "Nothing."

"Look, I don't have to be a mind reader like you and Kagome to know that something's on your mind. So I ask again…what gives?"

"Kagome can only read minds during mind-to-mind conversations, like your and my conversations, and when people have extremely strong emotions. That doesn't qualify. And I already told you, there's nothing wrong with me."

"Oh, I get it now," Inuyasha said, the beginnings of a grin on his face. "You're mad at Kagome because she gave you an order. She treated you like some commoner, isn't that right?" He gave his brother a half-punch in the shoulder, and ducked in expectance of the return favor. But it didn't come.

"Not it, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said flatly before stalking off.

The white-haired hanyou shook his head in confusion, murmuring, "I just don't get it…what the heck is up with them?"

* * *

Kagome waked into room and closed the door behind her quietly. She failed to notice Sango sitting on her bed.

Kagome dropped her bags and slowly put her hand over her mouth. What was that? Why did I feel so warm? Why did it feel so…so right, but at the same time so wrong? And most importantly, why did I kiss him back? She rubbed her eyes, but her train of thought was broken by a too-familiar voice.

"Is it true?" Sango asked solemnly.

"Is what true, Sango?"

"That you are to be Inuyasha's wife."

Kagome sighed. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"You don't love him, do you." It wasn't a question.

Kagome's eyes met Sango's, and the princess searched their depths even as she searched her heart, looking for the true answer. The maid's eyes were not dull and lifeless, as she had expected; rather, they held knowledge beyond her years, knowledge as old as time itself. There was truth there, and understanding. And she knew this was one person she couldn't lie to.

"No," she said finally. "I don't. I did, years ago, but…that was then, and this is now, and I no longer love him."

"Because of Sesshoumaru?" Now Sango's tone was knowing.

Kagome jumped, the incident in the hallway suddenly returning to the front of her mind and sending a flush up her cheeks. "What?"

Sango laughed quietly. "I know, Kagome. I saw you two kissing. I knew I wasn't meant to, but I did…I couldn't help it. And I saw how quickly you accepted him. But…why?" She can't love him. There's no way; it wouldn't make sense. He's a cold-hearted monster. Inuyasha's the one she should love. He won't wrong her, like Sesshoumaru will…But wait! Perhaps…just maybe she's the one the elders have spoken of… The maid was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she failed to notice that someone was listening in.

Elders? Sesshoumaru wondered. Who are these elders? And what would they want with Kagome and me?

"I…don't really know," Kagome admitted. "I feel so different around him. When he kissed me, everything felt so right, but then I saw Inuyasha's face, and suddenly it didn't feel right at all, just bad, so bad, as though I was betraying him. But…not entirely wrong, still. Just enough so to make me hesitate, make me rethink everything…I can't explain it."

"I understand," Sango assured her. Oh, boy do I understand…

"What? How?"

"Miroku," Sango answered automatically. She clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Miroku, hm?" Kagome parroted thoughtfully. Need to keep that name in mind… Isn't that the monk she was telling me about? The lecherous one? Suddenly her back stiffened, and she instinctively threw up mental barriers.

"What is it?" Sango asked, jumping to her feet as she felt the sudden energy change.

"He's coming," Kagome whispered in horror.

"Who? Who's coming?" Sango glanced around wildly.

He's coming…he's coming, and I can't run… He was coming.

He, who held her past.

He, who held her life.

He, who held her freedom.

He, who terrified her.

Her enemy.

Her father's killer.

This can't be…how could he have found me? she thought, panicking. How could Naraku have found me?

Sango caught the terror flickering across her face, and her concern immediately trebled.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" she pressed.