Promise of a Prince, Chapter 1

"Who are you, and how were you able to draw the sword?" Darting from his position cornering Inuyasha, Sesshomaru now stood front of her- seemingly in the blink of an eye. Completely dwarfing her was expected. She looked every bit of the helpless, human girl that he figured her to be when standing next to him.

A hard tremor spiked down her spine and Kagome she nearly jumped out of her skin. She didn't necessarily try to catch the lunatic's attention. The sword just…slipped out. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, was it? It wasn't as if he or Inuyasha were capable of pulling it out anyway when they tried. She'd done them a favor. Still, she shrunk backwards with the Tetsusaiga, understanding fully well that Sesshomaru, despite his inability to touch the Tetsusaiga, was no ordinary demon. "One step closer and I'll cut you!"

"Sesshomaru, get away from her! She's just a human girl. She's not involved in this!" Inuyasha bit out, his eyes frantically flickering between the two. Thus far, he'd been unable to keep up with his brother. The bastard was a slipper jackass, and if he made a move, Sesshomaru was liable to tear Kagome to shreds before he could save her. That was just how ruthless he was, "Kagome, just give him the sword!"

"What?!" Her shoulders slumped in disbelief. She directed the blade out, pointing its tip directly in the Daiyoukai's face, "Why does 'he' get to have it! He couldn't even pull it out!"

Inuyasha's brow twitched. Before he knew it, he was marching over to them as if danger was not imminent, "I'm trying to save your life, stupid! You're just a mortal! Just shut up and but out!"

"What do you mean?!-" Kagome screamed back at him, now swinging the blade until its end pointed towards the half-demon.

It was almost as if they forgot Sesshomaru was present. His eyes fell shut as he spoke, his voice the same smooth and menacing timbre that made Kagome's skin crawl, "…Inuyasha, your patience with this creature is astonishing to me. You protect her…indulge her…" His hand came up tucking a few stray strands of silver hair behind his pointed ear, those same primal orbs opening as they landed on Inuyasha, "…Even seem to love her.."

Inuyasha inwardly cringed, his jaw clenching at his brother's words. He damned Sesshomaru and the stupid bitch his bastard brother was born from.

"An affinity for humans is not a trait I acquired from our late and terrible father." To him, the girl was just christened prey, and he proceeded to stalk his way towards her, even as she backed way, "However, for this mortal…" His hand shot out taking hold of her wrist, "I will make an exception."

Kagome dropped Tetsusaiga as she was drawn against the pure-blooded demon's armored chest, his arm wrapping around her waist, "Let go of me!" No matter how she writhed and squirmed against him, it was obvious that he was not releasing her. That did not prevent her from trying, futilely so.

Inuyasha's heart began to thump wildly in his chest, his eyes wide and nearly vibrating out of their sockets. Sesshomaru was dead set on Kagome, for whatever reason. It was weird that she could pull out the sword and they couldn't, but that was no reason to drag her into their affairs, "That's just plain dirty Sesshomaru…let her go! She's not involved in this!"

"She will be mine until I figure out how she was able to remove Tetsusaiga. That I promise..." Sesshomaru recognized the pure horror and rage that crossed his younger brother's face- pure fear. It brought a subtle smirk to his own features.

"Kagome, hold on!" Inuyasha leapt towards the two but Sesshomaru jumped high…really high, so high that Kagome's screams were deafening. He was fast, blindingly so, making Inuyasha look as though he was carrying dead weight.

Kagome's heart dropped into her stomach. Inuyasha was becoming farther and farther away, shrinking in front of her eyes by the second. The foul stench of their father's carcass came to an end, and when Kagome peeled her eyes open, Sesshomaru and she landed outside of his father's body.

He didn't let go of her no matter how hard she hit him, "Let go!" She screeched, slapping him across his cheek as hard as she could.

She expected him to at least blink but he didn't, it hurt her hand more than anything. She flinched back, shaking the same hand she used to hit him. It was almost like she hit a brick wall. There were consequences to striking him, and she would learn that quickly. Abruptly, he wrapped his clawed hand around her throat and snatched her off the ground.

Her hands immediately clasped around his wrist once she discovered that she couldn't breathe. Her lungs were burning for air, screaming at her to inhale. Her eyes were beginning to bulge from her socks, and she couldn't see it but her face was nearly turning purple.

Usually, Sesshomaru desired to watch as the life slipped away from any mortal's eyes. He yearned the same with Kagome, to witness her body's slow death as she slipped into the arms of eternal slumber – but he needed her. That and Inuyasha was finally catching up to them. He released her, sending the girl into a fit of coughing as she fell down to her knees.

Kagome gulped down as much air as she could, but it wasn't long until Inuyasha was ascending out of the pit and quickly sprinting towards them, "Sesshomaru!" Before he could reach them, his brother's whip of light slammed into his chest knocking him backwards. He went skidding across the ground before he found his bearings, immediately flipping over.

In that moment, in that instant, he saw his brother mounting his two headed dragon forcing Kagome on the saddle. "Don't you dare take her!" He screamed until he was hoarse, though the beast slowly began to take flight.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scrambled from the saddle, knowing that if she did fall, the half-demon would undoubtedly catch her.

Sesshomaru's arm came around her once more, his freehand taking hold of the dragon's reigns. "Worry not, Inuyasha. I will take care of your precious…mortal." Inuyasha lunged at them again but one of Ah Un's jaws opened, soon blooming with lightning as the white light shot out, forcing Inuyasha further into retreat. The opposing head of the dragon opened its mouth, shrouding their movements in thick clouds.

They escaped.

Xx

"I don't know who you think you are, but let go of me!" Kagome continued to squirm about on the saddle even as they landed, "Take me back to Inuyasha!" She snapped, but he did not seem to be listening. He continued to hold on to her wrist, ignoring how she pulled and fought against him.

Kagome wasn't sure where they were. She simply knew that she was with a bastard, a cruel bastard, "I mean it!" She yelled, her hand shot out to slap him, however before the hit could land he caught her wrist.

She tried to pull her hand away, but he didn't let go. Abruptly, his clawed hand grabbed a fistful of her hair causing her to cry out as he wrenched her head back.

She glared at him as hard as she could, doing so until her eyes stung with tears. "Hands off, I mean it!" Kagome screamed while slinging her hand at him.

She didn't realize a bright light began to radiate from her palm.

It was purifying energy, strong enough to at least send a crackle of electricity up his right arm.

For now, it was enough to make him release her, sending Kagome falling to the ground. She immediately tried to sit up but he perched his foot on her abdomen, pinning her to the ground.

Just as he thought, she was no mere mortal. She was a priestess, but it was expected. His half-wit, half-brother was fond of priestesses. But, what was her link to the sword? She was able to remove it from its resting place, and by logic, Sesshomaru assumed that she would be able to remove the barrier that rested around the blade.

It was a theory worth testing.