A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry, I'm soooo sorry ;_; What did I say? 17th January. Well, I seemed to have totally missed that deadline. But I got a whole lot of excuses ^____^ Exams, school, theatre ……… I'm aware of the fact that they didn't change that much and I will probably be still bothered by them in the near future ;_; But anyway, I try my best to say the least ………

Okay, guys. From now on it shouldn't be as broken up as it had been in the last two chapters. And White Wedding should mark the finish of the introduction to the story.

Chapter IV and the following ones should also be a lot lighter than these three.

Anyway, be open for surprises and enjoy ^^ A nice, long chapter to dig into ( well ……… you tell me, if it's nice ^.~ ).

Disclaimer: Why am I doing this again o.O

Chapter III

White Wedding

What on earth was he talking about?!

"Propose what?" Kagome inflicted, hoping she'd forgotten her sense of hearing in the prisons along with her sanity.

"Well, propose to you." The person, who had just entered, answered calmly, giving her the most innocent and placid smile he could muster.

However, just as much as Kagome was speechless and shocked stiff, the stinking guy woke his most furious strengths.

"What?! You must be joking, Nuimo! She's fucking human! And she looks even like her!!"

"Like who?"

"Shut up!" was the annoyed and rude response poor Kagome got.

"I thought you'd act a little more polite around your future wife."

"I'm not going to marry her!! She's a goddam intruder!"

"A what?" The man, who had been addressed as Nuimo, answered with a confused look.

"Don't act as if you don't know. She's invaded my house!"

House? Kagome looked around the chamber. Only this room was lot bigger than her whole home.

"Don't play dumb, bitch."

Kagome blinked.

"Anyway, Inu Yasha-sama ……… You actually know her?" Nuimo gave a pointed look in her direction.

"Of course I know her!"

Inu Yasha had a tough time keeping his temper down, even though he didn't appear to be fighting it that intensely ………

"I fucking arrested her!"

Nuimo obviously decided to go back in defensive stance.

"Ah, that is what you've meant. Anyway, she's the one I've told you about. You're future wife."

Finally, Kagome managed to force herself out of her stupor. She'd never liked people who openly talked in her presence about her as if she wasn't there.

She was close to just grab Nuimo's prettily bejewelled cloak that perfectly emphasised his handsome features and stature.

Inu Yasha on the other hand was dressed a lot plainer.

Kagome couldn't quite explain why Nuimo had addressed him with 'sama' anyway: an affix that was being used for people who were very highly entitled. Normally those were the empowered ones and deserved a lot of respect.

"I do not mean to interrupt anything, but WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Kagome hadn't intended to scream, but, well ……… she did.

Nuimo and Inu Yasha both looked in her direction, not entirely sure what she was playing at. That only fuelled her anger.

"I DO NOT LIKE BEING TALKED ABOUT, WHEN IGNORED - "

"Shut up!"

This time she didn't.

"How DARE you tell me what to do!" she hissed and certainly didn't mind the few spit drops that had found their way on Inu Yasha's cheek and had originated from her mouth. He didn't flinch, however. He only washed it away with a plain movement of his hand, trying to hide his nearly obvious distaste.

Kagome wondered why the droplets hadn't evaporated.

He was literally on fire.

Nuimo unfortunately overestimated his psychological skill and made the biggest mistake anyone could've made in that situation: He spoke.

"Please, let's act reasonably - "

It went all very quickly. Too quickly for Nuimo to follow the movements in detail.

All he knew was that Kagome suddenly sat on Inu Yasha with a hateful expression and tried to throttle him with pathetic attempt.

Inu Yasha's face on the other hand gave her more than just death-promising looks and easily overcame her with little strength. He violently pressed her back against the wall. Sadly, in this case it was the wooden one, which forced Kagome to feel her insides slowly getting squeezed out.

Nothing was said.

Anybody would agree on the fact that the situation didn't need any explanation anyway.

Nuimo was just trying to find a solution and since he didn't trust his own strength on this one he commanded a few guards to get their [ Kagome and Inu Yasha's ] limbs sorted out.

They only did so very unwillingly.

Even though Kagome had nearly been killed and Inu Yasha looked as if he had actually suffered from the suffocating. At least he bared a few bruises from it.

Still, they were aiming for each other's throat again.

"Would you please stop?!"

The fact that he raised his voice, which was very unusual, made Inu Yasha stop dead in his tracks. Kagome sensed the change, too, and didn't need to know Nuimo to realise that something abnormal was happening here.

"We agreed, Inu Yasha-sama!"

"Well, you didn't tell me who the fuck you meant!"

Kagome needed to duck in order to miss the index finger that was being pointed in her direction and would have nearly beheaded her by accident ( or at least nearly poked out her right eye ).

"STOP TALKING ABOUT ME AS IF I WASN'T THE - "

"Shut the fuck up!!"

"STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!"

The girl had to admit: she hated hysterics. They were so ……… well, hysterical and would always strip her of her common sense. However, in this case ……… she needed to acknowledge that her tone of voice sounded barely diplomatic and rational.

Inu Yasha on the other hand seemed to be in his element.

"I AM THE DAIMYOU! I CAN FUCKING TELL YOU WHAT I WANT!"

Kagome didn't actually know why she fainted.

Probably because she still suffered from the lack of air as a result from the fighting ……… or so she told herself ………

~~*~*~~

The first thing she noticed was the light, rather slippery touches that were being applied to her skin, instinctively awakening her suspicion. She had no explanation for it at first, but unfortunately it was provided once she opened her eyes:

Rats crawled all over barely covered skin.

A whole bunch of differently sized, but similarly smelling rats.

Dear reader ……… I doubt you could not forgive Kagome for acting pathetically. And I very much believe you would actually pardon her ear-splitting screaming.

She felt them running all over her, even though she had brushed them off a long time ago. Their rough and strangely wet fur had left red marks on her skin and the frighteningly big animals squealed once Kagome tried to kick them away forcefully.

Tears of frustration mingled together with those of anger, however, they evaporated as soon as they left her eyes. Kagome could sense her face heating up without needing to touch it. She felt awfully weak.

As soon as the rats decided to assemble at the far end of the gloomy room, Kagome carefully leaned her back against the wall, not wanting to come into contact with any lost and forgotten animals.

She sighed ( and did not sit down! ) and realised that she was in prison once again. This time it seemed to be a little less ……… cheering? - she chuckled at the thought - than the last one. Probably she was done for it anyway now.

This got her attention back to the reasons for her having to be here.

Kagome had long given up on seeing through the maze of contrasting plans and motives. Those people didn't seem to be able to comprehend them either. She didn't want to break her pretty head.

Once she was sure those little ……… beasts would not bother her anymore, she sat down, since her legs started to tremble violently. It took her a little while to find out that they weren't the only part.

She felt the sensation of cold drops finding her way down her chin and they were soon followed by disheartening sobs.

The longer she listened to herself, the more demoralised she became.

Kagome decided to stop before she would start thinking about committing suicide.

This was definitely not worth it.

She wondered where her mum was.

Where had they taken her?

But more importantly: was she still alive?

She hadn't realised the stinking guy was the daimyou, the ruling lord of the western lands. Kagome slapped herself as her thoughts turned back to him. Never EVER would she have believed him to be powerful ……… unhygienic maybe, but not powerful.

She sighed once more and tried to remember the few tales that were told about the ruling family ( this time not only by her grandfather! ). They found themselves to be quite popular amongst the crowd. The majority of them still believed in primitive magic and heathen rituals. She didn't feel anything but pity for those people. She was old enough to be able distinguish between religion and non-existent myths. Therefore, Kagome had never truly paid attention to the most ……… ridiculous things she'd heard.

The belief that they were all youkais was even the most credible one of them.

Which didn't mean she believed in youkais any more than in the other stories!

Kagome had once met a woman who had assured her that she'd come face to face with one. A beautiful one at that!

Basically the story seemed to prove those that believed the most beautiful ones were the most dangerous, too.

The woman had lost half of her family: Her two daughters and her son, her brother-in-law and her sister. According to her ramblings they had been slaughtered by handsomely looking, unbelievably strong ……… creatures.

Kagome hadn't believed a thing.

Youkais belonged in stories and drawings and maybe even prayers, but not -

But what the heck was this guy?!

Some evil creature sent from hell?!

Well, he definitely behaved ( and stank ) like one.

Other stories told of his family being cursed or something ……… by some girl or whatever. And that creatures of some other dimension served the daimyou ………

Kagome tilted her head.

If they told her, he was a psychopath she would certainly find no problem in believing that, but this ………

She suddenly realised that she was one of the few people that had met him ( if he was it after all! She still didn't want to believe it. ). The peasants and workers of the country were far too occupied with the rebellions that were being organised and which were aimed to weaken the country. Those that weren't educated ( as if she was! ) would gladly accept an order and fulfil it.

Even though Kagome had barely been taught anything but some old legends, she preferred to think of herself as a free ……… or at least stubborn mind. But right now she couldn't find anything positive in that.

She'd never profited of it.

To tell the truth it only made everything worse.

"Women weren't supposed to speak about more than housing, family and ………" something else Kagome had forgotten. Let alone question situations and more importantly orders.

She'd often run into fatal circumstances simply because she wouldn't keep her mouth shut.

This was serving as the best example so far.

She turned her mind back on Inu Yasha and the mess.

Kagome didn't call herself overly superstitious and she certainly wasn't afraid of the stories she'd heard until now. Just curious.

He was strange. There was no doubt about that.

Even his looks were bizarre enough. Handsome, but bizarre enough ………

She immediately shook her head until she saw a sufficient amount of stars to be able to explore her own universe.

He was an insolent, insulting moron.

Barely had anybody been so rude to her.

Kagome opened her eyes of which she hadn't even noticed that she'd closed them before.

Actually ……… there hadn't been anybody so rude to her before ………

~~*~*~~

Never EVER had anybody been so rude to him before in his entire life! The marks on the floor told of yet untold aggressions that had been directed towards various parts of the room. The latter being encircled by the responsible person.

"What was she thinking?!"

"Inu Yasha-sama - "

"YOU better stay out of this. Unless you'd like to see more than one head rolling."

"That's what I've been wanting to talk to you about ………"

"Eh," Inu Yasha raised his hand in a natural 'stop - sign' suggestion. "Did I allow you to speak?"

Nuimo ignored him absent-mindedly and just went on.

"I don't think this is the right way to deal with such problems."

"What, What do you suggest I should do, Nuimo?" Inu Yasha stared at him with open eyes and a solemn expression. He certainly meant what he said, but he didn't seem to want to know what was coming because he already knew ………

"Marry her."

"You know I can't possibly do that!!" Nuimo's well-trained eyes could see the guards flinch slightly in response to Inu Yasha's outburst even though they had had a professional reflex training in the past. He sighed. Good instructors were hard to get. He turned his eyes, but not his full interest, back on his master.

"Why is that?"

Inu Yasha snorted dangerously, as if Nuimo - of all people - should know, and gave him a threatening look.

"She looks like her! She's human! I hate her! Are that reasons enough?"

"She looks like her: perfect. She's human: perfect enough. You hate her ……… hm ……… should I be surprised about that?"

The young-looking daimyou sighed deeply and sat down, Indian style.

"You set this up, didn't you?" he answered surprisingly calmly.

"Yes."

"More so, than any of the others?"

"Probably."

"May I get to know your intentions?" He enquired after taking in a long breath, which resembled a yawn.

"Yes, you may."

One eye cracked open.

"And they are?"

"To serve you and make you happy."

Inu Yasha snorted. "Don't give me this bullshit."

"It's true."

"How is this going to serve me and make me happy?"

"You said she looks like her. You screwed her up once. You can screw her up this time."

The calm and collected exterior that was being radiated by Inu Yasha dominated the room and would have been perceptible to anybody.

However, everybody failed to notice his unusually white knuckles. With the exception of Nuimo that was.

"She's human. She wouldn't be the first human you had. You hate her. That phrase sounds kinda familiar to me."

Inu Yasha gulped hard and Nuimo recognised the faint, dark stain on his red attire, originating from the insides of his hands ……… where his sharp nails tore his freshly coloured skin.

"I do it."

Nuimo didn't crack a triumphant smile. That was no news to him.

"How long?"

"As long as you wish. Or as short. Your choice."

~~*~*~~

"Wooden floor, iron door. I saw them here and there before. I cannot smell, I cannot hear, but I can certainly - "

Kagome stopped abruptly.

Damn. Was there anything that rhymed with 'hear'? Tear? No ……… Fear?

"I cannot smell, I cannot hear, but I can certainly ……… fear - Sounds dense."

She already thought about abandoning her fruitless talents as a songwriter and singer, but in prison nobody would be interested in what she had to say or sing anyway. She could easily croon as much as she liked.

Being claimed to be a criminal and being imprisoned certainly demanded all her wit and strength. She'd once heard a story about a woman who had spent thirty-five years of her life in prison, locked away from the ones she loved and needed, desperate to read anything that she could lie her hands on.

Basically this was connected to an undying love story of her and some guard who she had surprisingly philosophical discussions with, who had taught her Kanji and who she'd enlightened with the secrets of Hiragana in return. He provided her with all kinds of reading material ( from books about the legends of samurai warriors to simple agricultural notes for the general workers ), so that she wouldn't become insane.

Well, to cut a long story short, she died and just half-a-year later the true criminals were found. Just what she'd been accused of Kagome had forgotten, but that wasn't important.

She leaned her head back against the wall and realised how horribly nostalgic she'd become about grandpa's stories.

Probably this was just thought up anyway.

But it was beautiful nonetheless. Not cheering ( and certainly not motivating, considering Kagome's situation ), but heart-warming.

How had she come to think about it anyway?

Ah, yeah ……… prison and prisonal activities.

Prisonal? Was this an actual word?

If there was a prison, which there certainly was, why couldn't there be prisonal activities?

There was fiction and fictional.

And ………

Damnit. Was she starting to turn insane already?!

Maybe she just needed some nice guy to talk to and love and philosophise with ……… Koja wasn't here.

The sudden realisation hit her with a brutal stick.

Maybe she was never going to see him again. Probably not even see anybody again. She should have stayed with her mother. Or better: stay at home and tantalise Souta a little more ……… She'd never realised how much she could miss her little pip-squeak.

Kagome could sense cold, big droplets pour down again and she couldn't help but feel a little relieved after doing so ………

Stories like that don't happen in real life.

In order to survive this, she needed to abandon her little idealistic thoughts and wishes.

According to what happened next - maybe her life, too.

"You didn't forget what I told you?"

Kagome had never had the honour of getting to know what it's like when you're having a heart attack - up until that point that is.

"What the - It's you again?!"

"Ssh. They don't know I'm here."

"Who?"

"You didn't forget what I told you, did you?"

"Wha - What did you tell me?"

Kagome rubbed her temples in agony as she looked up to the hooded guy again. This time he hadn't opened the door and she could only see the familiar cloak and a pair of intriguing, blinking eyes through the small crack.

"That you need to answer every question you're going to be asked with 'yes'. It's very important that you do that. Otherwise I cannot get you out of here."

"Why do you want me to get out of here anyway?"

She'd always wanted that question to be properly answered.

But he was gone before he could have done so.

~~*~*~~

Heavy steps made Kagome once again aware of her present situation. She hastily turned around and was suddenly faced by a handful of people of which she knew too many.

"Follow." was the only order Inu Yasha needed to give before a pair of strong arms got hold of the poor girl and carried her out of the hovel.

While she was being guided along the countless, dark corridors of the prison, she constantly looked around for a sign of her mother. The guards ( her beloved friends from the market ) had wanted to punish her for her absentmindedness, but were put back into place by Nuimo several times.

Despite his orders, which weren't even concerned with her, Inu Yasha stayed strangely quiet most of the time. Kagome had no idea what she was supposed to think of this.

They had finally reached a part of the palace, which looked a lot more cheering than anything she'd seen so far.

"Get in there." If they'd let her a bit more time, she might have actually had the opportunity to undergo a mood change, as well.

"Change in that. Hurry up."

Kagome stood in the middle of a plainly decorated room with big, open windows. The latter immediately capturing her interest.

"Don't even think about it."

Inu Yasha's voice was composed of a strange lethargic, but hoarse tone. At first she didn't quite know what to make of it, but then she suddenly understood: he'd given in.

Whatever had been said or done in the past few hours, he'd followed. Even though underneath it all, he seemed to be the demanding, dominating guy, it didn't strike her to be true.

She turned to look at the heap of clothing before her. Kagome reluctantly got hold of it, which was supposed to take her doubtful look for granted.

"I'm supposed to wear this?!"

"I didn't ask you to wear it. I told you to."

"Yeah, right."

Normally, she would have thought of something witty ( or not-so witty ) to retort, but this time she was reminded of a soothing voice in the back of her head: "Whatever you're being asked you must answer with 'yes'."

"Sure," she murmured, more to herself than to anybody else. And she doubted anybody had heard it.

But before the girl thought about removing her attire, she looked around.

"Er ……… I'm used to getting dressed ……… alone."

Inu Yasha snorted condescendingly, but preferred to add barely audibly: "Keh, as if there was anything look at anyway." He didn't want to tempt her temper once again ……… She was quite fierce after all.

He turned his back on her and exhaled another incredulous sound. Kagome, however, did not move and did not even think about changing.

It took Inu Yasha a few seconds to realise that it was unhealthily quiet. Either she was a frightening magician ( which she wasn't. He didn't need to be an expert in order to tell. ) or she just didn't do anything. He snarled dangerously before turning around.

"Get on with it, wench. I don't have all day."

"I said: I'm used to getting dressed alone."

"Don't be such a wuss. There is nothing to look at. Besides ……… someone needs to stay here. I'd be disheartened, if you left already ………"

"Know what - I don't CARE."

"You want me to call the guards? But believe me, they are not going to turn around. They will take any opportunity to look at anything female." He gave her a half-playful wink, before facing the other side of the wall again.

Kagome heaved a deep sigh and started to loosen the belt around her kimono.

"So ……… you don't need to look at me because you've seen so many women before? Is that it?"

The sharp snort wasn't the only answer she got.

"I don't need to because I do not like to have a heart attack before my time."

She abruptly stopped getting undressed. She was down to her undergarment, which she had just been about to get rid of, but his remarks made her stop dead in her tracks. The only thing she could muster was a forgiving beam. Mentally, he was a child after all. In the end, she preferred to keep going. The sooner she would be ready, the sooner she could get out of here ………

"Pff ……… you have no idea about true beauty ………" Her right hand reached out for the heap of clothes before her, while the other one was covering the scarcely dressed and dear parts of her body.

"That's right. Just plain ugliness."

"You know what?" she retorted with an ignorant smile, "I think you perfectly match my impression of a psychopath."

"I DO WHA - "

Everything went for too quickly for Kagome to grasp. Inu Yasha had turned around with an angered swirl and had been completely oblivious to the fact that she had just been getting dressed behind him - until now that he saw her ……… sort of naked.

"YOU TURN AROUND ONE MORE TIME AND THE ONLY BEAUTIFUL THING YOU'RE EVER GOING TO SEE IS THE INSIDE OF YOUR TESTICLES!"

It was needless to say that both faces had adopted a rather healthy tone of red. Out of different reasons perhaps, but still ………

Inu Yasha's blush crept from one ear to the next, not leaving out anything in between. Kagome just resembled the insides of a dropped tomato. But she was hell of a lot more dangerous. If she had had the opportunity to advance upon him, without losing the last bit of her dignity, she would have certainly done so.

"Just why ……… do you think I'm a psychopath ………" he enquired quietly.

"Sorry, correction on my part: PAEDOPHILE! That's what you are."

"Come on. You can't be that much younger than me. I doubt you even are."

Kagome blinked confusedly, quickly getting the heavy new kimono over her head. Whilst doing so, she just hoped and he wouldn't turn around, simply for the sake of annoying her. She wasn't deceived. Inu Yasha didn't move an inch.

"Sixteen."

"See. As I said."

"Why ……… how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Years or centuries?"

Inu Yasha was just about to give her another peeved look, as he remembered. He quickly got his head back in its original position.

"Oh. My education seems to work. I slowly start to get you to walk the right track."

"Be careful with what you say. I might just turn around. You wouldn't want to be responsible for someone's death. And I wouldn't want to die because of the consequences of shock just yet."

"You wouldn't dare."

"I can easily deprive you of my generosity. Don't place your trust in it!"

"Oh, don't worry. I would never make such a stupid mistake."

He'd had enough. The young daimyou turned around with an enraged expression, disfiguring his normally handsome features, which even Kagome had noticed on a second thought. However, his frown deepened.

"You didn't really think I was so brainless as to make you turn around and get the possibility of seeing me naked, now did you?"

"Why didn't you tell you were ready? I could have left already?"

"You could have left a long time ago."

"Not without you."

"Who said I was going anywhere?"

"I did."

"There, we are back again on that issue."

Kagome threw her arms above her head in mock-defeat, before moving from her comfortable seating position on an even more comfortable-looking floor. Her back didn't mind its rigidity. The wood was warm. That was all that mattered.

"You certainly are a strange girl."

"You're not the first to tell."

"I never doubted that." Inu Yasha snapped as he got up.

"Move. We don't have all day."

"Tell me, where are we going?"

Kagome raised her torso and supported nearly all of her humble weight with her arms. She awarded him with a playful look.

"Follow me and see for yourself."

"It's nothing that's going to get me in trouble?" she wanted to know, desperately trying to hide her slowly arising worry. However, Inu Yasha had been trained to perceive just that in an enemy. There was nothing he loved more than badly hidden fear.

He gave her his first true grin.

"You don't know how deep you're in it right now. It can't get any worse, believe me."

Kagome returned his grin with an insecure expression. His grin seemed true. Yes ……… truly vicious. There was something weird about the whole thing that caused her real concern. However, she couldn't quite word it. How could anyone squeeze out a true grin, which seemed fake after all?

On the one hand, it didn't appear to be his true nature. But on the other ……… that seemed to be all that was left to him.

"Tell me what I've done that could possibly justify my guiltiness and I follow wherever your path takes you."

"You live."

And that was everything he needed as an order to turn around and leave the corridor in the direction of some place still unknown to her.

~~*~*~~

It didn't take Kagome long to come to the conclusion that she'd never hated anything as much as this kimono.

It was heavy. It was ugly. It was uncomfortable. And it was from him.

"You can slow down, you know. With these two guys behind me, I can barely go anywhere."

Nevertheless, Inu Yasha seemed to be completely oblivious to her remarks and her poorly concealed curses. He needed to admit, she did look quite nice in that ………

She had been the last person to wear it. Obviously, only Nuimo's twisted mind could come up with the idea of now giving this thing to Kagome. It was tough not to think of her, when he awarded the generally plain-looking girl with secretive glances. The black hair, the facial features ……… all those parallels seemed to point at more than just coincidences.

But Inu Yasha already knew of one difference that was just too easy for him to notice: their eyes. Yes, they were of the same brown colour, probably same size and same location in the face and blablabla, but she'd always missed the spark. The spark that was setting him on fire right now. On fire of rage and discontent.

He never knew he would miss that.

"Are we there now?"

Inu Yasha didn't feel the necessity to answer that one, to answer any question she would randomly throw at him. He just kept walking.

"How long - "

"Listen, girl," the unpleasant voice of the big bully from the market shouted straight in her ear, "One more word from you and I'm going to make you suffer even before the wedding."

Kagome's body stiffened.

She was sure her heart had stopped its actions and all she could hear now was the pulsating blood in her temples.

"Wedding ……… I thought ………?"

"You think you wear this thing for fun?" the other guy retorted and tried to sneer, which looked funnier than he would have intended it to.

"Shut it. I didn't ask for any comments from you two." A threatening voice disrupted their conversation and now claimed everybody's attention.

There was a noxious flame in Inu Yasha's eyes, as he turned to face the guards.

"I have never asked you for your pitiful rambling. If I had wanted to tell her about this, I would have done so already."

"We apologise with greatest regret, Milord."

Both bowed in respect and ……… fear. Kagome was no youkai, but she was sure she could smell it, nonetheless. The endless corridor practically seemed to stink of it.

"Leave and be sure to be out of my sight before I think of a worse punishment."

Kagome would have loved to have his tone of authority. This way she would have surely gotten rid of Souta and his annoying friends in no time. Before she knew of anything she could've possibly said ( as if she had anything in the first place ), they had already left.

It was down to her and Inu Yasha now.

"What did he mean ………?"

"If I had wanted to tell you, I would have done so already."

He considered their conversation to be over.

"I asked you for a valuable clarification."

"And I said: If I had - "

"I KNOW what you've said," Kagome had a tough time keeping her temper down again. She tried her best, nonetheless. Her voice turned into a menacing hiss, as she continued.

"I don't need your repetitions to know you're obviously insane. Whatever's bothering you, don't take it out on me."

She took in a deep breath and prevented Inu Yasha from disrupting her monologue.

"I know of all those people that bow down to you and worship you for whatever little mess you've produced. I know of all those that haven't got a clue about you and still think you're worthy to be in such a ruling position. I know of my brother who's always wanted to become a daimyou, as if it was something you could easily acquire once you've got the qualification for it. However, what I don't know is how such a stupid prick like you are could possibly be allowed to have control over more than one creature, that creature being your pet! You are a little mindless child, screaming for your mother to come to your rescue, completely forgetting about the fact that others have mothers, too - "

"My mother's dead."

" - and actually want to - What?"

Kagome closely scrutinised Inu Yasha's flat expression and could only discover a lack of care and concern. It had only taken him five seconds, before he'd continued to listen to her words intently. He seemed as if he hadn't meant to interrupt, but Kagome could tell differently. His features may have been expressionless, but there was a strange sparkle dancing in his eyes, which was just waiting for an opportunity to be released.

She tried it once more.

"I'm not willing to award you with my pity."

"That's the last thing I could possibly want."

"I thought that would be me?"

"Keh!" He looked away.

"Anything from you would be the last thing I could possibly want."

"You know what I think you need?"

Inu Yasha looked at the small girl again and received a warm smile.

"Firstly, a good beating and then someone to cuddle."

"I - WHAT?!"

"I think you've been deprived of both."

"Keep walking."

"I'm not intending to marry you."

"And I'm not intending to give in to your pathetic demands!"

"My mother's and my freedom is pathetic?"

"Freedom is non-existent." His tone of voice turned strangely bitter and Kagome knew better than to interrupt just yet. "You can't buy anything from on it."

"I don't think this is your opinion. I mean ……… your true opinion."

"You know nothing about me." He turned his head to look at her, walking slowly. Kagome didn't seem to have realised she was following him.

"You're right I don't. And probably I still do not want to. That's just what I think."

"Then think again."

"You cannot force me to do this."

"I can do a lot more than just that."

"Then make me!"

Kagome stopped instinctively and raised her head in a mocking attempt to provoke him. He continued to stare at her, before finally shaking his beautiful, think mane.

"You asked for it ……… And don't think I wanted to do this!" He added in a rushed manner.

"You said your mother was here? You marry me, I let her go. You refuse, well ……… I'm going to think of something nice then."

The girl looked at him with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

"You're not serious."

"I absolutely am. If you knew me, you knew you would not want to mess with me."

Kagome was at a complete loss of words. She'd only experienced this kind of thing in Grandpa's stories and never even thought of the possibility of getting herself into the very same situation. What would he do?

Suddenly, she was reminded of the strange guy's words in her prison again: "Whatever you're being asked you must answer with 'yes'." Did that include tricked and forced marriages, as well? Kagome sighed deeply.

Inu Yasha took that as his triumph, but neither cracked a smile nor made sure of exposing his blessed ego. He just mumbled and disappeared around the corner.

Kagome quickly caught up with him, now having the time to closely scrutinise her future home. These parts were a lot brighter than the living and 'prisonal' areas. The large number of doors on each side were kept open and most of the light was able to flood the normally gloomy corridor. However, she couldn't even find contentment in breathing the fresh air. She'd never met anything as shallow as this.

If this was beauty, she could think of nothing more pleasant than being ugly.

"Snap out of it, girl. We're there. Behave yourself." Inu Yasha claimed her attention once again, before opening the one door, which had been kept closed. It was made out of the typical mixture of silky paper and strong, wooden grids. Normally, Kagome would have been able to see people's shadows from the outside, but the light fell too disadvantageously in order to do that.

The person by her side pushed it open with one strong gesture, as ……… Kagome was close to becoming unconscious once again.

The room was filled with all kinds of people she'd never met and would have never wanted to meet. The garments they wore bordered on obscurantism and ridicule and if this situation hadn't been so horribly serious, she would have had a tough time not to burst out laughing.

There was this woman with the headdress that reminded her of Souta's earlier, futile attempt to build a birdcage. Her hair would have made a perfect bird's nest. Then there was this other guy, who surely would have claimed everybody's attention, if they couldn't have been sure of becoming blind: any rainbow would indisputably envy his taste in colours.

Where the heck was she?

"Hail to the lucky couple."

Ah, right ………

"Hail to Lord Inu Yasha. Hail to ……… the girl."

"My name's Kagome."

The mentioned girl received a variety of incredulous glances and she was already afraid they might throw themselves at her to go in for the kill. They didn't seem to have expected her to actually have a voice at her own disposal ………

"Hail to Kagome."

"Wow, they seem to like you," an all-familiar and hated voice to her right proclaimed quietly.

"Who they heck are these people?" she whispered back.

"I don't know."

"What? What do you mean 'You don't know.'?"

"As I said: I don't know. Some notables that live in the palace. Nuimo should know their names."

"Right. Your personal butler," Kagome snapped, lacking the sort of respect the others would have died to serve Inu Yasha for his breakfast.

"Actually, he is my closest advisor, my chancellor so-to-speak."

"Okay. And why did you just give me that piece of unnecessary information?"

"You asked for it?"

"As if I was interested. I was just wondering."

Their senseless conversation was interrupted by a strangely clothed, bald monk, who held out his arms as if wanting to welcome the two.

"They say 'Conversation is the key to love' and I'm glad you found a way to turn that into adoration."

Kagome gave Inu Yasha a quick look before faking a vomit fit. Inu Yasha, however, didn't find anything funny in that. Too fresh were his recent memories ………

"I welcome you two to this blesséd ceremony."

Inu Yasha observed the monk and concluded that Nuimo must have come across someone who was still completely "unused". He didn't know how many houshis he'd already met in the past on this kind of event ………

"Well, let's get on with it."

~~*~*~~

Kagome had not given in to her fate. She was just thinking quietly about how she'd gotten herself into that state of mess, but more importantly: how she would get out of it.

"Lord Inu Yasha, please bring forward your all-anticipated vow."

But if she wanted to think of something, she would need to do that quickly, preferably now.

"Kagome, I promise to value your life and desires and to protect you with anything I can spare and I will treasure your dreams and secrets and will turn them into my own."

Quite a few listeners stirred uncomfortably, since they'd recently heard the same thing ……… this morning to be precise. Obviously, there was nothing they could do about it. Inu Yasha just swore he would find a replacement for them, since he didn't feel ready to change his vow just yet. It had been good enough for this and the last time and it would be perfect for the next few ceremonies that were still to come, as well.

He placed a well-hidden look on Kagome, who stood next to him and seemed to be far more occupied with the windows and the guards who "protected" them.

He tore a careful smile in response. He didn't need to be a mind reader in order to know what was just going through her head.

Kagome on the other hand barely seemed to notice.

If he had looked a little more closely, he would have seen the faint blush on her cheek, which was just beginning to fade.

Beautiful gobelins they got there.

The way the daimyou had pronounced her name, without having tried it out on his tongue before, had caused a weird change in the girl. She couldn't name it and she felt ridiculous for feeling that way, but there was just something different about it being mouthed by Inu Yasha, not as the daimyou, but as Inu Yasha.

"You've never said my name before."

"Huh?"

Inu Yasha had finally managed to pay his wandering attention to the priest, as he was torn out of his forced concentration.

"What?"

"You've never said my name before, you know." Kagome whispered once more, trying not to provoke any more stares.

"So? It's Kagome, isn't it?" he answered, just as quietly.

"Yeah ……… yeah ………" she turned to look at the houshi again. He didn't seem to have understood her.

"My name's Inu Yasha."

He was awarded with a pleasant and friendly smile -

"Call me God."

- of which he was soon being deprived.

"I think this chamber is far too small. I wonder how you managed to squeeze your ego inside."

"I admit it was quite hard after all. It would have been a lot easier, if you weren't as fat."

He soon got to know the colour of her tongue: a beautiful red. Kagome had just been able to suppress the urge of getting him acquainted with the skin colour of one specific finger.

"Just throw out a few of your guests. They certainly wouldn't mind."

"They'd kiss my feet, if I allowed them to stay."

Kagome sighed, being eyed suspiciously by the houshi. She answered with a placid beam, earning herself a barely noticeable headshake.

"I think you mistake their politeness for friendliness. They'd kiss anybody's feet, if they could just get out of here."

"You're a peasant girl, aren't you?"

At his flat remark, she gave him the most evil stare she could possibly muster.

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean? My grandfather was a true storyteller after all."

"Ah. But you're still a peasant girl."

Kagome nodded quietly.

"See. You got no clue about what and how much people would do for materialistic matters. There is nothing more anybody could yearn for than to be allowed to stay in the palace. As an inhabitant, not as a prisoner." He added quickly with a wicked grin.

"Pff, I'd think of a thousand more pleasant things to do in contrast to living in this hellhole."

Before Inu Yasha had the chance to snap at Kagome's angry reply, the houshi intervened in a calm voice.

"Kagome, please, enlighten us with your turn."

"What?" She hissed in Inu Yasha's ear, earning a few giggles and various "Ohhs" and "Ahhs", which did not help!

"Your vow. What you like about and what you would do for me."

"I need to be silent?"

"Very funny, girl."

"It's Kagome."

"Kagome, then. Get on with it. And stop murmuring. They're starting to wonder already."

"Tough enough."

She cleared her throat and faced the priest, who continued to scrutinise her in return. Kagome didn't like it, but she could not throttle him just yet. There were too many witnesses.

"Inu Yasha, I ……… like ……… there is ………"

"This would be a great time for a brilliant inspiration, girl," Inu Yasha hissed, easily being drowned by the many loud reactions in the room. The majority of the notables had been quite offended, as she'd mentioned his name, without showing the expected respect. However, Kagome still heard him.

"Well, it's your fault, isn't it? You got us in this kind of situation."

"Would you please continue, Kagome-san?" The houshi reminded her of her duty once again.

"Of course. Well, Lord Inu Yasha," she spat slightly, "I thank you for your ………honesty and generosity!"

Her last words were directed at him and he could easily read the truth in her eyes, which sparkled of condescension.

"Besides that, there is your kindness and your politeness that demand further attention. And yes, I'd rip my heart out, if it would help you," she smiled and continued quietly, which was only for Inu Yasha to hear, "to die horribly."

"My mother would surely agree. And she would praise your ……… manly, hygienic scent just as much as I."

Inu Yasha had serious difficulties with controlling his temper.

"Thank you, dear Kagome. Now, Milord, would you two please share the blessed sake and your signs of affection."

A delicately ornamented, golden goblet was given to Kagome, who received it with a more than just curious look. It was filled with a liquid she could just identify before wrinkling her nose in disdain: sake ……… alcohol.

She wasn't such a big friend of alcoholic drinks. Inu Yasha didn't seem to mind though.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she asked quietly.

"You need to let me drink of it and vice versa."

"I feed you?"

He snorted.

"You really have no idea, have you?"

"Well ……… it's practically feeding ………"

Kagome still managed to raise her hands, thus enabling Inu Yasha to take an unproblematic sip from it. However, she proved to be a little clumsy, as she was supposed to do the same in return. It took a while, until the houshi was finally satisfied.

"What's now? Are we finished?"

"Not quite ………"

Inu Yasha gave her the most evil grin she'd ever witnessed so far, but Kagome didn't realise its meaning, until it was too late.

His soft lips pressed against hers, carefully penetrating the outside of her mouth, as if demanding to be let in. Nevertheless, before he'd gotten the chance to use his tongue, she instinctively pushed him away with brute force ……… for anybody to see.

"Just what do you believe you are doing?!"

Faint hisses and murmurs reminded her of the presence of all the other obscure people once again.

"Calm down. You can kick me later. It's tradition ……… the kissing I mean, not the kicking. Although ………"

Kagome boiled. Ever since she'd entered this hellhole, she'd been degraded, defeated, dehumanised and mistreated. She wouldn't just let him get away with that. And his sadistic smile didn't help.

"You're a true arse and you suck!" she hissed quietly, oblivious to the fact, that some might actually hear her, but she was lucky this time.

It was only Inu Yasha, who noticed her obvious distaste. On the surface he looked calm and collected, however, on the inside, he fumed ……… or was at least confused. It was the first time anybody had rejected his kiss. And nobody had been as hostile as this girl, Kagome, as she called herself.

Her fierce brown eyes sparkled of hatred and other things he couldn't and didn't want to name. It infuriated, but also somewhat impressed him.

"Now let's part in happiness and appreciation, not forgetting to wish the couple to guard values such as immeasurable love, never-ending care, shared faithfulness and beautiful forgiveness." The houshi concluded, giving Inu Yasha and his 'guests' the desired clue to leave, Kagome being hot on his heels.

"So, what have you prepared?" Inu Yasha enquired, having noticed the rushed footsteps behind him.

"Just what were you thinking?!" He turned around and was faced with a truly angry bride. Her rage didn't really bewilder him. It were more her tears, that leaked from her eyes, as she stood before him, trembling slightly.

"What do you mean, girl?"

"It's Kagome. I'm named for a reason."

"So that they know who to bully?"

"You're they only bully that's walking this earth."

"Oh. If that's your serious belief, I need to disappoint you then. There are guys out there, that are a lot worse, you know." And he wasn't even lying as he said that. His memories went back to people he knew ……… very well, but Kagome didn't seem to care.

"You completely humiliated me!"

"How so? Do you have any idea about how many girls dream of seeing me? And you of all people got the chance to get to know how I kiss."

"Like a dead fish."

Inu Yasha, who'd been yearning for some privacy, was once more persuaded to stay.

"What did you say?"

"You're kiss was nothing. It felt like I was kissing a dead fish. I doubt you ever kissed anybody because of the feeling and not out of some idiotic reason."

He advanced on her very slowly, as if ready to pounce on her, if she said one more word. Kagome became very silent as his lips were lowered to reach her left ear.

"First: There is never any feeling involved in whatever act of kissing you participate in. It's a whole load of bullshit. Sorry, if I'm the one to break the news to you, but it's still better to hear it from someone you hate than from the someone you love. Second," Kagome didn't even get the chance interrupt, "You don't strike me to be the experienced person. I doubt you ever kissed anybody. How can you possibly say I kiss like a dead fish?"

It was obvious he waited for her to answer, however, he hadn't expected the following.

::SLAM::

The sensation of tears mingling with her dry skin made her completely unaware of the burning sting in her right hand. Inu Yasha, too, was far too surprised to perceive the pain of being slapped.

"You have no idea, you insensitive asshole. Yes, it was my first kiss," Kagome took another quick breath, which stopped her voice from breaking, "That gives you no reason to take it away from me. I've always expected somebody else to do that."

Inu Yasha crossed his arms, as he put on a smug smirk. Kagome didn't know this was his defensive stance. She got even more worked up.

"As for your dead-fish-thing: I've never met anybody as fake as you. I do not need to be experienced in order to know your faking every single of your smiles. Take it as a humiliation that an inexperienced girl calls you an empty show-off!"

That was all Kagome needed to storm off.

~~*~*~~

She felt this had been a completely stupid idea. Obviously, she hadn't a clue where to go. Kagome'd gotten lost several times so far, so how could she possibly find her way out. She was a prisoner - a married prisoner, but a prisoner nonetheless.

Never had she felt this dishonoured.

She'd gotten arrested, sentenced to death and married all within 24 hours.

There was something seriously wrong with her life.

"So, now what?" was her last remark before she became aware of heavy footsteps behind her. Kagome turned around in a swift swirl, but couldn't see anybody. Whoever was following her, he still seemed to be around the next corner.

The girl frantically looked for somewhere to hide. Inu Yasha moved far too gracefully and fast, so it couldn't be him. It could possibly be a guard, searching for her.

This was the last thing she needed.

She was just about to give in to whatever fate had in storage for her, as she realised that the door near to the mentioned corner could easily be opened. She did so as quickly as she possibly could, desperately trying to avoid any noise - her heavy breathing included.

It was her heartbeat that caused most of her stress. She got the feeling of trumpets calling out her present hideaway, waiting for anybody to find her.

The footsteps got nearer and passed the door in a fleet movement. Two steps were needed and Kagome lost sight of the person again.

She was just about to heave a deep sigh in relief, as she realised that it was dead quiet outside. Too quiet.

He surely couldn't have reached the other end of the corridor just yet.

"Kagome, don't be so stupid as to believe nobody's going to find you."

The called girl was absolutely certain her heart had skipped a beat or two. Or possibly even five.

She knew that voice.

"I know you're here somewhere. I'm not going to look for you, since you need to come out for yourself."

Hell couldn't force her to.

"I told you, you need to trust me. I can only help you if you agree to anything you're being asked. I'm going to leave now and let you think about what you've done. Go back and get prepared for the festivities. They're awaiting your performance."

Performance?

"Just a tip: Do not dance. Inu Yasha would have a heart attack, if he saw one more."

Good.

"I assume you're going to tell stories. You're granddad shouldn't be the only fine story-teller in the family."

If anything didn't get her attention, this one certainly would. And it did. However, as Kagome was just about to leave her safe hideout, the guy had disappeared again. As always. Without answering questions. Just creating new ones.

How could he know about her grandfather and his profession? This was impossible!

But if truth was to be told, she didn't have anything to perform anyway. So, dance was unacceptable ( she didn't care about Inu Yasha's well-being, just about her already bruised dignity ), that only left story-telling as an option.

Kagome should have been glad for the unwanted advice, since she surely would have gotten lost anyway. But she just couldn't help it.

This guy gave her the creeps.

"There she is!"

"Get her!"

"What makes you leave the daimyou on your wedding day?"

Oh, if you only knew ………

A/N: Please review ^^ They might actually encourage me to work harder and to survive these days of tough stress ……… Watch out for a few new stories, that might go online within this or the next week ……… as if one big thing wouldn't already suffice o.O ………