Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Time and Location: This story takes place 400 years after the Sengoku Jidai Era. Much of the land looks the same, though villages are slowly becoming cities and they have things such as indoor plumbing, glass, etc, etc, etc.

The Feud: In this time Emperor Tao rules Japan and whichever families are wealthy enough, strong enough, and powerful enough to hold and keep the power they have attained. There are two such families who have done this: The Higurashi Clan and The Masaharu Clan. They are equal in every rite. Neither one's army is stronger than the other, neither one has more money than the other and neither one has more land than the other, but they both have a problem... each other.

You see, for the last 300+ years these two families have fought each other and since its been going on for so long, no one from either family can quite remember how it started or which family did which family a grave injustice first. Since so many have died in the battles between these two families the cause of their feud died with those who started it. One legend says the feud was caused over a woman another legend says the feud began over a strip of land. Not just any strip of land, but a very valuable piece indeed. This certain piece of land sits directly between these two families lands and hold a waterfall that is said to hold certain powers within its water, but no one knows if said power is true for no one has stepped foot on said piece of land since the fighting began hundreds of years ago and those that are old enough to know and lived to tell... has not.

Many believed the feud would come to an end when the Taiyoukai, Higurashi Onigumo, and his wife had children. You see, while the Taiyoukai, Masharu InuTaisho, had three sons, Lord Higurashi had three daughters. And everyone knows daughters are only good for one thing: marriage. If a powerful Lord had daughters he would marry them off to a family who could help in his cause, while sons on the other hand could carry on the family name as well as battle and become heroes. Daughters were not believed to be useful in such things. So, many believed the Higurashi Clan, having no sons to continue the name, was slowly on it's way out.

But, things did not work out this way. No. Higurashi, who had become known as Naraku for his ruthlessness in battle, was not marrying off his daughters. People did not understand this, for his daughters were heard to be three of the most beautiful women in all of Japan (seeing who their mother was, no one doubted it), but there was a mystery surrounding these three women. There were two mysteries, in fact. The first was their animals; which really wasn't much of a mystery. Stories say that each daughter had a pet, for lack of a better word, that had an extraodinary ability to change its form to fight and protect its mistress. This was not much of a mystery because some people have said they witnessed the eldest girl's cat change into a larger form of itself and fly through the sky with flames at its feet. No one had trouble believing this because it was said that the girl's animals are youkai and everyone knows youkai have great abilities and powers. The mystery about this is that rumor has it that the cats are actually their mistress's true form. The rumor said that even though the girls were youkai they looked human. No one knew if the rumor had any truth to it though.

The other rumor is actually a double mystery. Its rumored that not only is all three daughters believed to be human, but also each one is said to have an extraordinary gift or power unique to themselves. No one understands how this can be when their parents are known youkai; nekoyoukai. No one has given much credence to the second mystery for no one outside of the Higurashi clan has ever seen the girls. It is said that they are very proficient in battle, but no one knows if this is so, because both families had been given specific orders by the Emperor himself that there was to be no more bloodshed by either of them to each other or the culprit would be severely punished. In other words, no one born of or associated with the Masaharu clan could kill anyone born of or associated with the Higurashi clan and vice versa. This was decreed over fifty years ago. At that time both families had decreed no one was to ever goin the water onthe land they fought over, until something was decided.Personal honor made everyone stick to this rule. So, both families began toplay sneaky tricks on each other and even engaged in the occasional fightbut nothing so evil that would bring either one before the Emperor. This is how it has been and still is 'til this day.

The end of the Feud... or is it: Under orders from the Emperor, spies have been placed within both families for the last forty years. His Excelency did not trust either family to keep to their promise of leaving the other alone, despite personal honor (and rightly so) so he had sent out spies to watch both families. The Emperor had finally lost his patience with both families after recent events that caused a young woman's death. In his anger, he had come to a decision to bring the Feud to an end... for good! His solution was to join these two families and make them one. He believed a family would not kill amongst itself or anymore of his people. So he decreeded that each son from the Masaharu family was to marry a daughter from the Higurashi family. You can imagine how both families greeted this, but the Emperor would not change his mind and to prove this he further decreed that the first marriage was to take place in two weeks time and he would attend to make sure his orders were not defied. Depending on how well the first marriage went, then that would say when the second would take place and the third, but each daughter would be wed within the next three years... if not sooner. The Emperor gave the families the right to choose which daughter would marry which son... After all, he did not want to allianate either one of the Taiyoukai.

The Higurashi Daughters: The eldest daughter's name is Sango. She is twenty years old and said to be very beautiful with dark hair and dark brown eyes. She was master of the dagger and a large boomerang called Hiraikotsu. It is said that she never misses a target when using the large weapon. Her familiar, Kirara, was said to be a fire neko who could transform. The second daughter's name is Kikyo. She is nineteen years old and said to be just as beautiful, also with dark hair, but her eyes were a clear, hazel brown, like good wine. She is said to be amaster of the bow and arrow as well as the sword or katana. Her familiar, Mala, was said to be a lightning neko who looked much like a cheetah. The youngest daughter's name is Kagome. She is eighteen years old and rumored to be the most beautiful of the three for she had eyes of indigo. She was master of the sai, but she was very good with the bow and arrow as well. Many say she is the one who holds the strangest power, but as I said before, not to many put much stock in the rumors of the girl's having 'gifts' of a sort. Her familiar, Dygee, was said to be as black as a night without stars, like the panther, and was an ice neko, but no one had ever seen the younger two daughter's animals in action.

The Masaharu Sons: The eldest son's name is Sesshoumaru. He is twenty-six years old. Every woman in Japan has, literally, swooned at his feet. They say he is the most beautiful man they have ever had the misfortune (depending on whom you asked) to meet. He was heir to the Western Lands. The middle son's name is InuYasha. He is twenty-three years old. He was also very handsome with his unique ears. He and his older brother both had long, silver-white hair and amber eyes. This trait was passed to them from their mother who died giving birth to Inuyasha. It was believed a minion working for the Higurashi clan poisoned her, but no proof had come of this. The youngest son's name is Miroku. He is twenty-one years old. He looks much like his father with blue-black hair and eyes a deep blue that could only be described as purple. Though he is only a half brother he is very close to the other two. Each brother were considered great warriors and said to be unequaled in battle. It is said the youngest son has the infamous wind tunnel on the palm of his right hand and with it, can suck up entire armies if necessary.

The fate of these two households rest on the outcome of these three marriages... Will this be the beginning of a new future for them, or is it the beginning of a very sad and disastrous end? Only time will tell...

Book I: A Marriage Made In Heaven.

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
--Excerpt from the prologue of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Chapter 1: The Beginning?

"Honey what are we going to do?"

Lord Onigumo turned to look at his beautiful wife as she came slamming into the room; a frantic look on her face. He studied his wife as she starred back at him with wide, bright blue eyes. He could see the panic she was trying so hard to control. He put down the book he was reading to give her his full attention before addressing her question.

"About what?"

"About what..." she echoed in disbelief. "About our daughters! How are we suppose to tell them they are to be married off to our enemies?"

Onigumo winced at the loudness of her voice and wiggled a finger in his ear. His hearing was never going to be the same again, he sighed. He figured his question was not a very good one. Onigumo walked over to his wife, wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her against his chest in a comforting embrace.

"There is nothing we can do Atsuki... short of defying the Emperor. They will have to marry or we will be charged with treason. As for telling them... I'd suggest we not tell them using those words."

Atsuki lifted her head from her husband's chest in confusion.

"What words?"

"The words "you are to be married off to our enemies"." He frowned and shuddered at his next thought, "At least not to Kagome. Kami-sama, that girl has a temper!"

She smiled at the comical look of horror on her husband's face.

"She gets it from you," she said with a twist of her lips and did her best to hide her growing smile.

Onigumo arched an eyebrow at her words. Everyone knew those words were the farthest from the truth.

"I beg to differ, my dear. You know as well as I do that those girls get their tempers from your side of the family. Except Kikyo; I don't think that girl has any temper at all."

It was Atsuki's turn to arch a brow now. She knew very well her daughters got their tempers from her... as well as their good hearts. It was all they got from her, for none of her daughters looked anything like her. Not one of her daughters had come out with her red hair or her fair complexion. Her youngest child, Kagome, ended up with her blue eyes, but with the girls dark hair and olive complexion she still looked more like her father. It also went for Sango who, despite having Atsuki's face, still looked more like her father with her olive skin tone and dark hair.

Atsuki looked at her husband and felt the familiar flutter in her heart. He was still the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. With his long, wavy, black hair, garnet colored eyes and eyelashes any sane woman would kill for he was, indeed, very beautiful. Even after all their years together he could still make her heart react as if she was seeing him for the first time. Remembering her husband's last remark about their middle child, she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud. She couldn't believe he actually believed their daughter didn't have a temper!

"You think not?" she asked smartly, "Believe that if you want to my dear, but trust me our middle child definitely has a temper... it just takes much more for it to come out. She was blessed with patience... or she's just much better at the art of ignoring than the rest of us are. Take your pick."

Onigumo thought on this, but just could not believe his very logical daughter could be short with anyone. 'It just wasn't in her nature,' he concluded and shrugged it off. It mattered not; he would not be marrying his second child off first anyway. Nope, he'd already decided that.

She knew her husband was picturing their Kikyo and knew what he was thinking, but Atsuki knew better. It may not be in there daughter's nature to yell at someone, but that was only because Kikyo preferred action to words. Kagome had no problem cursing out anyone to hell and back, Kikyo would find something to knock you with if she was angry enough, and Sango, their eldest... Sango was a mixture of the two extremes. It all depended on what was handy and what mood she was in.

Atsuki watched the expressions play over her husband's face and knew he'd already come to a decision. She hadn't been married to him all this time and not learned all of his habits. She uncurled herself from against him and moved away. She had a feeling they were not about to agree.

"What have you decided?"

Onigumo looked down on his lovely wife and saw the set of her chin and sighed. He mentally squared his shoulders and prepared himself for the coming battle. Like he mentioned before... his wife had a temper to go with the fire in her hair.

"As you know," he began and took a deep breath, "the Emperor has allowed us to chose which daughter would marry which one of the Masaharu boys."

"Yes..."

"Well, I have recently learned that Lord InuTaisho has decided his eldest son will marry last. He is marrying off the youngest boy first."

"And which of our daughters have you decided will be first?"

Atsuki waited for it. She knew without a doubt she was not going to like his answer. She didn't like the whole thing, but she was not prepared to defy her Emperor. Rumor had it the current Emperor Tao could be very imaginative with his punishments.

"Sango."

In turn, Onigumo waited for his wife's explosion. He was not disappointed.

"WHAT!"

"Honey..."

"DON'T YOU 'HONEY' ME!" she yelled. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU DECIDE OUR ELDEST CHILD SHOULD MARRY HIS YOUNGEST? SHOULDN'T SHE BE THE ONE TO MARRY HIS HEIR?"

Onigumo sighed heavily. He was going to have a headache this night.

"No."

"NO! NO? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, 'NO'?"

"NO!" he yelled. She was not the only one who had a temper.

"AND WHY NOT?" she screamed at him.

"YOU HEARD ME WOMAN! I. SAID. NO!"

Atsuki's eyes began to glow bright with a blue fire as she narrowed them in anger at her husband. 'He'd better start talking fast or I will not be responsible for my actions..." she said to herself in warning.

Onigumo took a deep breath to calm down. He did not want to fight with her; he wanted to save his strength for Masaharu. Lord knows, they couldn't be in a room for one minute without fighting.

"Sweetheart, think about this. Sango is not made to be the future Lady of the Westernlands. Her heart is much too soft. She could never be the one to make the tough decisions, even with a strong husband by her side. You know what I say is true."

Atsuki thought about her eldest daughter. She knew her daughter had a pure goodness in her that was very rare. Her daughter had always done everything in her power to help those in need, but tended to blame herself when she could not save someone. She also knew Sango used her special 'gift' to help with this when necessary. As she thought more on it, she knew what her husband said was true; her Sango was not a person meant to rule. Atsuki's anger deflated with her acknowledgement as she looked at her husband and nodded.

"So... you think she is better with the youngest son?"

"He is still older than she is, and he is not without power. Besides, he will have to win her. They all will. Our daughters are a force to be reckoned with in more ways than one... like their mother."

Atuski gave a half smile at that. She knew her husband referred to their daughter's unique abilities. They had done their best to keep them secret, but now it looked like they would end up telling the one people they never wanted to find out: the Masaharus.

"We will have to try and protect her. Sango's power could be dangerous in the wrong hands."

Onigumo understood this very well, but how did a father protect his daughter from her husband? "It seems... she will have to do most of her protecting herself. We can only do so much; especially after they are married."

Onigumo watched his wife's eyes sadden at that. He knew she worried for all of her daughters, but Sango was the one she worried for most. She took things too seriously and often too personally. She had a tendency to place blame on herself when things didn't go as planned, then she'd make herself sick with guilt.

"I guess this is for the best," she smiled at her thoughts. "Can you imagine her reaction at marrying a man said to be more beautiful than most woman?"

Onigumo smiled at his wife's girlish giggle. The thought was comical. His Sango would be outraged.

"May I ask, who have you decided will be the next Lady of the Western Lands?"

Onigumo turned to walk away from his wife in thought. He linked his hands behind his back as he looked out the window at the darkening sky and sighed.

"I haven't decided that yet. I'm just not sure who would make the better choice between the two. I don't want to be wrong."

She walked over to her husband and reached her arms through the opening of his and embraced him as she laid the side of her face against the hard plains of his back.

"You will make the right choice. Of that, I'm sure."

Atsuki thought of her other two daughters and sighed. She was glad she was not making the choice. Her last two children were alike in so many ways, but they were as different as night and day. She figured her husband would be able to make a better decision after he had a chance to get a look at Lord InuTaisho's two oldest sons... and perhaps a feel for their characters. Sango was so much easier because in a lot of ways she was so straight forward. What you saw was what you got; simple as that. There were times when she could predict her daughter's moves. She guessed it came from her gift. While Kikyo and Kagome were... like a three tiered cake; layer after layer.

"Well, when are you going to tell them?"

"I'm about to go let them know what their Emperor has decreed now. We have less then two weeks to prepare."

"OH MY GOD! I completely forgot about that!" she shrieked and began pushing him towards their bedroom door. "Go! Go tell them! How am I to prepare a wedding fit for my daughter if she doesn't know she's getting married? You know she needs time to be shocked, then angry at the Emperor, then angry at you, then at her intended, before she will even bother to think about being cooperative. Not to mention Kirara will be burning anything and everything in sight while her mistress is upset. You tell her now and she'll be just finishing with all that in time for the ceremony. And I don't even want to get started on how Kagome is going to respond to this! Do you think we could... just not tell her yet?"

Onigumo arched his brow at his wife for a second time that night. 'She couldn't honestly believe we'd be able to keep this from Kagome?' he wondered in disbelief. He knew she had to know that one of the servants would tell the girl within a couple of hours... a day at the most. The servants dooted on Kagome. 'If she told them to go jump off a bridge, they'd happily a pack a lunch,' he thought dryly. 'Damn if they didn't listen to my youngest daughter more than they listen to me!" he sneered to himself.

At the look on his face, Atsuki knew her wishful thinking was far too wishful and sighed.

"It was a thought," she stated sourly.

"More like a myth, with no hope of ever being true."

She frowned at him and watched as he walked out the door to go find their daughters, who they both knew were most likely in the castle gardens by now; relaxing with their cats at their sides.

ooo

In the Castle Gardens

"So, when do you think Father will get around to telling us?"

Kagome turned tofind her sister's dark gaze and shrugged. They'd found out from Toutousai-san, their father's oldest friend -literally and figuratively- about the Emperor's orders. None of them were happy, but none of them were going to defy the Emperor either. They'd heard stories about his ways of punishing. They'd each gladly marry anyone to keep from experiencing that first hand.

"Wouldn't you be the best one to answer that question?" Kagome's rich blue eyes sparkled at her pun as she watched her sister's embarrassed blush.

Sango smiled at her sister and tried her best not to laugh. She knew perfectly well her sister was referring to her 'gift'. Sango's ability to see the future was not an uncommon ability, but the fact she could also see the past wasn't commonly known. The older people in the palace called her a "seer", but Sango didn't always feel that way. Sango had come to terms with her ability and used it to help her family and friends whenever she could, especially her sisters. They were her best friends. Her gift had one little flaw though... she could not tell her own future or for that matter any future that dealt with herself directly. Which is why she'd asked her question; she had no idea when their Father was going to tell them, but she knew it would be soon, he didn't have any choice in the matter if the first wedding was to take place in two weeks.

"You know perfectly well, little sister, that Sango can not tell us this since it also has to do with her."

Both Kagome and Sango turned to their other sister Kikyo when they heard her soft voice chime in. It never ceased to amaze them how calm she could be... even now. They looked at their sister as she sat in the chair with her cat, Mala, in her lap. The dark, gold knit sweater she wore with her jeans brought out the golden hues in her caramel colored eyes they noted. They'd always told her the dark gold was the best color on her.

"She's right. It is the reason I haven't seen a vision on Father's arrival to us, but I do know that you two will be married."

"To which brothers will we be married off to?" asked Kagome; her eyes were shooting off tiny blue sparks. She did not like this at all! They were warriors! And instead they were being treated as weak daughters.

"Father has not decided," answered Sango as she averted her eyes from her sister's perceptive gaze. This did not escape Kikyo's notice though.

"Hmm. You say Father has not decided yet, but I'm betting the future already knows his decision, doesn't it?"

Sango glared at Kikyo for a second. Sango sighed in resignation; her sister never did miss a beat. "Yes, it knows."

The other two waited for her to continue then dropped their mouths in shock when they realized she was actually not going to say anymore.

"You're not going to tell us are you!" shouted Kagome in shock. "Thats not fare! You know who you will be married to, but you won't allow us to have the same benefit!"

"That is not why. I do not say because, while Father has decided whom I will marry, he has not decided which brother you and Kikyo will marry. My future is set now, but what I see, for you guys now, is subject to change when Father makes his decision. I do not wish to lead you wrong until I am certain. I do know the names of the two that are left, though. If you would like to know."

"That is logical," Kikyo stated. She would not admit she was upset though.

"You would say that. Logical," giggled Kagome as her anger died. She could see the anger flash in her sister's calm face. She knew just as Sango did, that no matter what Kikyo said aloud she was angry just like they were. They could always read their sister even when she began to hide behind the calm exterior she was known for.

Kagome peered down at Dygee, who was sleeping at her feet, and smiled at her midnight colored cat.

"Then who are you to marry? Or do you not know?"

"You knowI don't," Sango sighed and looked down at her hands. "All I know is that the blurred vision I have seen hasn't changed... and because it's so blurred I know the vision pertains to myself."

Kirara hopped up into Sango's lap to give comfort. The fire niko could sense her mistress's distress and did not like it.

"God! It must suck to see others futures and not your own," exclaimed Kagome with a shake of her head.

Sango thought about that for a moment. In the beginning, when she'd first learned of her power and what her visions were, she'd been scared. Especially when she saw things that were sad and too scary for her young mind at the time. With time she'd learned how to control her visions and how to separate herself from it. Then came the time when she realized that she couldn't see her own future and she'd felt exactly as Kagome had just said. She'd thought it was so unfair that at eleven years old her own 'gift' couldn't keep her from falling on a patch of ice and breaking her ankle. It had scared her, but with her mother's help she'd come to figure that God didn't want her to use her gift for her own gain, but to help others so that's what she did. Her and her sisters were trained in combat and like them she mastered the use of a weapon and when necessary she used her gift, just as her sisters used theirs.

Sango remembered the brutal training her and her sisters went through, but in the end they'd come out fine. She was the best to wield a dagger or the large boomerang, Hiraikotsu. Actually, she'd never seen anyone use the heavy weapon. She was very good. She never missed a target. When she was thirteen and learned what could happen if she missed, she made a vow to herself to never miss again... and she didn't.

Sango looked at her younger sister, whose gift was the strongest of all of theirs, and sighed. She admired the straight blue skirt and white top wit huge pink flowers her sister wore and smiled. The outfit was very beautiful on Kagome. She knew that many people called them the most beautiful women in Japan and that Kagome was more beautiful then her and Kikyo, but for all that her sister didn't have a conceited bone in her body. Yes, her sister admired herself in the mirror when getting dress, but no more than the average eighteen year old, but if you were to tell her how beautiful she looked Kagome would smile, say thank you, and go on about her business. If you were to tell her she was the most beautiful girl in all Japan she'd laugh and tell you that you must not have met many woman.

Sango thought again about her sister's statement and smiled to herself.

"No it does not bother me... anymore." Both Kikyo and Kagome saw the gleam in their sister's eyes and laughed themselves. They remembered the fall she'd taken when she was younger. It wasn't too funny then, when Sango was really hurt, but now they laughed about it together.

"So, what are their names?" asked Kagome. She was a little curious because while they heard much about the sons of Masaharu, they only knew the name of Masaharu's heir. They heard much about him. Like, he was said to be more beautiful than most women. 'Odd' she thought to herself. It was odd to think of a man and the word 'beautiful' in the same sentence.

"Of the two that are left?" Sango asked to be sure. When her sister nodded she continued, "InuYasha and Sesshoumaru."

'Ah, so the beauty is left for Kikyo or me. To think, I could end up married to a man more beautiful than me...' she thought with a blink. "I wonder why the heir is not being married off first?" she spoke aloud to no one in particular. She tensed when she sensed a familiar aura coming their way.

"Father is coming," Kikyo told them with a sigh.

"How do you know?" asked Sango; focusing on her other sister.

"Kagome," she nodded in the other girl's direction, "she has become tense. I would imagine she can sense his aura now."

They turned to look at the younger girl and watched her nod in agreement. Their father was, indeed, on his way.

As their father came into view they all turned to look at him. Kikyo could sense he was not happy with what he had to do. She understood that he was still going to go through with it; he was not going to let them out of this. She knew he feared what the Emperor would do in retaliation. Sango shut her eyes for a moment and saw three male faces flash in front of her eyes; one with dark hair and two with hair of a silvery, white color. She wondered who they were and felt her stomach plummet. For some reason, she had a feeling she was not going to like it when she learned who they were. Kagome did her best to control her anger. She did not want to have a shouting match with her father. He may say that they have their mother's temper, but he could not say he didn't have one of his own. It was her opinion that her sisters and her had their parents temper.

They all watched their Father's approach in silence as they contemplated their own thoughts.

Onigumo eyed his daughters as he walked towards them. They were all watching him intently, he noticed. He also noticed none of them looked happy to see him. They all looked a little... peeved, he thought. Even his Kikyo, who was always so calm and serene, seemed to be upset. He wondered what they were talking about out here, and had a sinking suspicion that they already knew what he'd come to tell them. Onigumo frowned at this and decided he would take the head of the person that told his angel's what he had specifically told everyone not to tell them.

"My angels..."

"Oh, great!" they all thought in unison. Whenever their father called them 'his angels' he wanted them to do something he knew they were not going to want to do.

"I have something I need to speak with you three about," he said to them. Onigumo was not looking forward to this... he already had a headache. "Well... ah, you see... the Emperor... He, ah..."

Kagome looked between her two sisters then shut her eyes and made the link. "You guys, this is painful to watch." She turned her gaze back to their father and pretended to listen to his attempts at speaking coherently. She was so happy she'd discovered this little perk to her 'gift'. With it, she and her sisters could speak to one another without saying a word out loud. They had to be in close proximinity to one another or in the same vicinity, like they were now, for it to work. It was their little secret.

"I know! Is it me or is he looking a little green around the edges?" asked Sango as she tried to keep her face straight. She didn't want to tip their father off to what they were doing.

"He's looking green," replied Kikyo as she stifled a giggle.

"Ooh, was that an almost giggle Kikyo! Better be careful, someone might see." Kagome smiled inwardly at her joke.

"Shut up Kagome! I am trying so hard here not to laugh!" Sango squeaked.

Kikyo looked from one sister to the other and arched one beautifully shaped brow at them before returning her gaze to their father's face. 'I think we should take pity on him before he gets annoyed with his own stuttering."

Sango and Kagome gave a slight nod in agreement.

Onigumo swallowed, as he looked from one daughter's face to the other and then the other. They all looked so calm and cool. Well, his Kagome still had a spark in her eyes, but not nearly as large as he had thought it would be. He narrowed his eyes on Sango for a second and stilled. "Wait, was that amusement in his daughter's eye?"

"Emperor Tao has--" he tried again only to be cut off by his daughter.

"We know Father," Kikyo cut in quietly.

"You know?" That brought him up short for a second. He'd thought so, but how much did they know? "What exactly do you know?"

"We know that in an attempt to stop the feud between our families," Sango began.

"Emperor Tao has ordered us to marry the Masaharu sons," Kagome finished.

"And in two weeks the first marriage of the three is to take place. And the timing of the second marriage depends on how the first one goes," added Kikyo.

"Oh! I almost forgot... we get up to three years to get all three marriages done," Kagome smiled sweetly. It did not escape Onigumo's notice that his daughter's smile did not reach her eyes.

"Okay. You know everything... thats all you had to say," he sighed and rubbed a hand down his face and shut his eyes.

"Well, not everything..."

Onigumo's eyes popped open at that. He looked at his daughter's faces again. He couldn't help thinking that the Masaharu boys were getting the better end of the deal here; all of his daughters were beautiful like their mother.

"No. Not everything," continued Sango. "We don't know which one you're bartering me off to. Care to enlighten me?"

'So, now it begins,' he thought with a sigh. "I am not 'bartering' you... any of you." He narrowed his eyes at each of them, making sure he got his point across.

"Of course you are Papa. You are bartering us for peace... a peace that may not even come, but its okay. If we are to be bartered at least it is for something worth the trouble," said Kikyo; her eyes looking calmly into his.

"She's right Papa. No matter how you say it, the Emperor has bartered us for peace. I just wonder what has pushed him to this?" said Kagome with a twist of her lips.

"I don't know. Some say he has lost his patience with us, others say the death of that young woman last month did it," he answered. He also had wondered about that incident.

"But that had nothing to do with us. Did someone from the Masaharu family kill that woman?"

"I honestly don't know, but from what I know of Lord InuTaisho and the woman's death, it doesn't fit. I have never known him to do anything without honor and their was no honor in the way that woman was killed."

They all nodded at this. They respected their father's judgment on these things and accepted it completely.

"So, back to me!" Sango gave a sarcastic smile and a shake of her head, "Who have you picked for me? I already know I'm first."

Onigumo sighed. This was what he'd come to tell them though. Granted, it didn't go as he'd planned or imagined, but there was something good in the latter thought, because what he'd imagined hadn't been pleasant at all.

"The young man's name is Miroku. He is Lord Masaharu's youngest son. He's twenty-one."

Sango processed this information and decided to wait 'til she met her intended before giving an opinion of his choice.

"Is his hair a silvery white color?" Sango thought about the three images that had crossed her mind not too long ago.

Onigumo had seen all three sons before, mostly in battle, but he'd no less seen them. He wondered how his daughter knew of the other two son's hair color though. He figured, she might have been told by someone in the castle, since it wasn't a common color of hair.

"No, that's the older two sons hair color. Miroku's hair is black like his father's."

'So the faces I saw were there's. Too bad it went to fast for me to catch details' she thought and nodded at her father.

"Well, I suggest you girls get some sleep. You'll meet the guys tomorrow. Lord InuTaisho and his sons are coming to sign some documents."

"Alright Papa, we will. Goodnight."

"Yes, goodnight Papa," added Kikyo.

"Pleasant dreams," Kagome chimed in with a smile to him.

They watched their father walk away before turning to look at one another.

"Well. Tomorrow should be interesting."

"Hm," said Sango in thought. "Interesting, is the word for it."

"Well, I guess we should find our beds," began Kikyo as she stood with a sleeping Mala in her arms, "I have a feeling we are going to need our strength."

Sango gathered Kirara into her arms as well and got to her feet. "Alright then. I guess its time we say goodnight then."

Kagome bent down and picked Dygee up off the ground. She giggled when he purred as she settled him against her chest as she straightened. She looked at her sisters and nodded in agreement. They all stood eye to eye to each other; it was one of their similarities. Their figures were different though; she was curvy with a large bust and round hips; Sango was even more curvier with a larger bust then her and Kikyo. Her proportions were almost perfect, and Kikyo was the smallest of them, but in no means small proportioned.

They walked together to their rooms since they were on the same side of the castle. Sango was the first to leave as they made it to her room first, then Kagome's room was next as it lay on the opposite side of the hall and further down. She bided Kikyo a final goodnight as Kikyo proceeded to her roomnear the end of the long corridor, on the same side of the hall as Sango and entered, shutting the door quietly behind her.

The three sisters were all anxiously waiting for tomorrow... for very different reasons.