Author's Notes: hello everyone! This is me, getting ready to show the world my new work. Well, anyway, here it is. Don't forget to review!

In retrospect, Kagome's decision to elope with Kouga had been the most disastrous-and not to mention stupid- decision she had ever made.

To start, Kagome was always a dreamer; she always wanted her dashing prince with his blue eyes, dark hair, and his rugged smile to ride into her life on a mighty steed; she wanted him to sweep her into his arms and ride away into the sunset-and all done with a mighty flourish. Sadly enough, for the first sixteen years of her life, no prince had made a grand entrance. It left her pining, and doubting her dreams. She asked herself, is it real?

That was where Kouga, the mighty wolf demon prince ran into her life. At first, she kept her distance, electing to only admire him from afar, and admit very quietly to herself that, yes: he was handsome; that yes: he was gallant; and yes: his charm had all the single women on their lands falling apart at the seams- but, no: he was not for her; and no: he would not select her. She still hoped though; hoped against hope that he would see her amid the throngs of women and see something special. And yet, a small dismal part of her reminded her of the fact that she was only one of a million; and he would never see anything special. She made sure to keep herself scarce-or at least she tried to.

However, Kouga had other ideas, apperantly, if the long walks he took her on, the kind words and flattering compliments her whispered in her ears, and his sudden exclamations of his love for her were anything to go by. He proposed marriage to her parents; but they refused. Lord Kazuhiro and Lady Mikiko only had one daughter, and they would not easily hand her over to a wolf with questionable intentions.

Kouga would not be deterred. He passionately told Kagome that he would die without her and he would never love another. She cried. He told her to hush. She said she loved him and needed him. He turned the gears in his brain a bit and proposed elopement. She, assured that her love was just and nothing could come between her and her man, said yes.

The rest was simple. Kagome reached the destined port, where they were to board a ship that would take them to beyond; but he never did. She waited all night, and all day, and no-one came. In the end, it was her father, Lord Kazuhiro, frantic and frazzled, who found her, crying hopelessly on the dock, wailing that her prince was not here yet. Her nearly desperate acts angered him, and he turned his back on her, his only daughter.

When they reached home, her mother's reaction was different. Kagome laid her head on Lady Mikiko's chest and sobbed her heart out. Lady Mikiko gently stroked her daughter's inky hair, softly whispering words of comfort, and kindly admonishing. Her husband turned away in disgust. Kagome's brother called her an idiot, the servants would not meet her eyes, and after a while, even her mother left Kagome lying on her bed, head on the pillow and hands fisting on the sheets. Slowly, she uncurled one hand and felt the fabric. She trailed her gaze down the bedspread and dimly realized that it was not the silken one she had slept on everyday in her life.

Cotton.

She buried her face in her pillow and cried as new onslaught on tears fell from her eyes. Had this one fatal move-agreeing to marry Kouga without her parents consent-lost her everything?

Lord Kazuhiro sat in his secluded study, the place where he liked to retire to after dinner, looking for the entire world like a lost man.

How had this happened? How-how? What had been missing? Had he failed on his duty as a parent? As a father? He had given Kagome everything she could wish for, and this- this atrocious behavior was the only thing he had gotten in return.

He had failed- utterly and completely.

Still, what had he done wrong? The question hovered behind his eyes, dulling his usually sharp gaze. Had he given her too many comforts? Had he given her too many words of praise? Had he not mistaken her adorable naïveté for idiocy, stupidity, futility? Had he not taught her to be strong?

Slowly, the muddled ideas began to take form, and he slowly came to realize that-yes, indeed-it was his fault, it was his doing that his daughter went astray. He had pampered her, coddled her, and indulged her to fatal degree. He had led her to take everything he and his wife had given her for granted. Once-just once- they refused-and she became so full of self-importance, that no, nothing her parents said mattered, no sir! They were wrong-and she must have her way. And it was her way she had; and it was her way that would lead the prestigious name of the Higurashi family to fall into ruin.

And he would be damned before he let that happen. He began to mull over possible solutions to the problem Kagome presented-or rather, represented-when he was alerted to his wife's presence by a delicate cough.

He looked up, chagrined at the interruption. "Why is it that you are here, my lady?" he asked.

Lady Mikiko's oboew creased. "You know very well, my lord, why I come to wait upon you in your most secluded place."

He sneered, the gloomy state of his mind making him less than civil. "Pray tell, do inform me."

"Very well, my lord, you refuse to make it simple. I shall do it for you. What is it that you will do with my daughter?" Lady Mikiko's words were laced with challenge.

Lord Kazuhiro's words rose to meet it. "Since to-night you are filled with compassion to a fearful extent, you tell me: what should be done."

The lady's lips formed a straight line. She had been expecting this.

"I cannot tell you what to do with her, my lord, but I can tell you what you cannot do." She straightened her paper fan with fingers rigid with purpose.

Her husband looked at her.

"And exactly what is it that I cannot do?" Lord Kazuhiro asked scathingly.  

Lady Mikiko chose to pointedly ignore her husband's sarcasm.   

"You cannot send her away," she said.

Her husband huffed.

"And why cannot I send her away, my dear woman?"

"Because, if you do, people will talk. They will suppose the worst."

"And what is it that they will suppose?"     

Lady Mikiko's eyes flashed at her husband's hostility. She had been the one to come in and bait the man, but still- he didn't have to be so cruel. He was too attached to the code of chivalry for his own good. Not that he followed it, of course…

"They will say she is pregnant with Kouga's child, that's what."

Lord Kazuhiro's face blanched.  

"She isn't." He'd said it with wavering certainty.   

Lady Mikiko sniffed. "I don't think so; but it is what the people will be inclined to believe-"

"-If I were to send her away." He nodded his head tiredly. Sending Kagome away was exactly what he had been planning on doing-and that would shame the family (exactly the sort of thing he wished to avoid)-and if he kept her here, then she was fair game to all the handsome young men that the wove their ways in and out of the castle. And stable hands. He had to keep her away from them too. And the butlers-not that any of them were young-but one could never be so sure. And the public baths! She'd have to be told to avoid those at all costs.

Suddenly, the task of keeping Kagome away from the opposite gender seemed huge. The castle, the lands the world was full of men that would ensnare his daughter! She was in danger at all times! She could be walking down a hallway-a pleasant little hallway, and then a man would come, rub her the wrong way, poof: Kagome has disappeared! He would keep her inside her room, with only one maid for company, and-!

Lady Mikiko saw the frantic gleam in her husband's eyes and rolled her own. The man could be such a nitwit at times.

She clapped her hands in front of his face.

"My lord, are you here?" she asked dryly.

He came to with a start. "Yes, yes. My dear woman, do you realize how big a problem this is?"

Lady Mikiko nearly scoffed.

"Yes, I do. Now, I do understand that you are thinking that Kagome shall be harmed-no surprise there. However, if we could take away her eligibility, then she should be quite safe."

Understanding dawned in Lord Kazuhiro's slate grey eyes like fireworks. Once again, Lady Mikiko

felt the muscled around her orbs twitching.

NOW he understands…

Lord Kazuhiro felt relief flood over him like a great tidal wave. And he knew just the boy to marry his daughter off to! And when she was married, she wouldn't be in danger! Problems solved! He fought the impulse to do a creative little jig.

In a flurry of movement from formerly sluggish limbs, Lord Kazuhiro brought before him sheets of stationary and a quill pen.

"My dear Comrade Inu no Taisho," he began, quite forgetting that his wife was in the vicinity.

"It has come to my attention quite some time ago, that a certain son of yours was in want of a wife. After thinking long and hard about the poor boy's pitiable situation, a true solution is at hand. I wish for your son's and my daughter's marriage.

"It is understandable that this is dreadfully improptu and completely uncalled for. However, allow me to point out the benefits of this match. I have decided that Kagome is at a correct age to be married, and will make an excellent wife for your son. With this marriage, we will have the proper means to merge our lands, and that is a most fruitful plan. I sincerely hope that you will give the proposal thought.

"My best wishes,

"Yours, etc."     

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, snatched the letter out of his hands and quickly scanned it over. She wrinkled her nose and clucked in disgust.

"This is no letter to send to such a powerful lord!"

Swiftly, she seized the quill and inkwell, and blotted out majority of the letter.

Lord Kazuhiro sputtered in anger.      

"What are you doing, my poor woman?"

"Fixing this poor excuse for a dispatch."

An argument followed, which the lady won, eventually. Soon the latter was ready, and the courier called. The letter was then dispatched to the great demon lord of the Western Lands.

The lady, for the first time that night turned to her husband in uncertainty.  

"Do you think this is a good idea?" she asked.

"Do you have any other alternative?" he asked his eyes on the distant spec that was the horseman that carried the letter.

"No, but, this boy, I've…never seen him.  That's all that's worrying me." She frowned. "What did you say his name was again?"    

Lord Kazuhiro looked at his wife. Fiery and passionate one moment, passive and uncertain the next. He gave her a lopsided grin.

"Inuyasha."