A.N. Okay, here are some facts about this time period that I'm going to write down for your basic knowledge: Kagome was Inuyasha's wife so now she is a widow. Since this is the Victorian Era, she will be expected to wear mourning clothes for two years. Inutaisho is expected to wear mourning for one year, and Sesshomaru six months.

A funeral march played as six soldiers dressed in full uniform carried a heavy casket on their shoulders with each of their faces fixed into solemn expressions of dignity and honor. At the end of the path stood the body's father, Lord Inutaisho of the West, the body's brother, Lord Sesshomaru of the West, and the body's noble wife, Lady Kagome of the East. The soldiers paused as they reached their destination and gently lowered the casket to the pit that had been dug for it. Suddenly, Lady Kagome fell to her knees her black gown pooling around her in a perfect circle. With her black gloved hands covering her mournful face she began to sob for the loss of her husband.
"Inuyasha, oh Inuyasha," she cried with tears falling down her lovely face. The soldiers backed up and saluted first the casket and then the family. The service proceeded as planned, Lady Kagome's sobs ceased into abrupt hiccups, and the casket was lowered into the ground. Lady Kagome bit her lower lip until it bled the drops of blood following her husband into his grave. Suddenly, she lunged forward attempting to go with her husband to the afterlife. But two strong hands clutched onto her shoulders preventing her from doing so.
"Release me!" she shouted angrily as she fought against the warmth that surrounded her. Tears fell from her eyes once more as the longing to die and to be buried at her husband's side overcame her. Lord Inutaisho brought the young woman to her feet and held out his handkerchief for her to dry her eyes. She took it and turned her head away. He stared gently at her and led her away from the grave site hoping that if she were away from the macabre scenery she would return to her dignified state of being.
"Kagome I must speak to you once you are well once more," he said to her quietly once they were approaching the horse drawn carriage adorned in black due to the funeral. Kagome stared at him through hollow and empty orbs of misty brown.
"My wish is to do your will Father," she said as she bowed her head in sorrow. Lord Sesshomaru followed at a distance but paused as he passed his brother's grave. Reaching into his coat pocket he removed a solid red rose and tossed it into the pity where the black casket lay.
"Rest in peace, my brother," he said in an emotionless tone of voice. With this completed he returned to his father and sister in law for the return to their mansion in the country.

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The moment the carriage came to a halt Kagome descended from the coach and rushed up the hill towards the house. She removed the pins that attached her hat to her head and allowed her raven hair to fall down her back mixing like a sea of darkness with the black gown that she wore. 'It is a very good thing indeed that I enjoy wearing black seeing as I must be in mourning for two years,' she thought with a grim expression on her beautiful face. The butler opened the front door for her and allowed her inside with a slight bow of respect. She moved up the large staircase silently her gloved hands clutching onto the fabric of her gown so that she would not trip. At the top of the stairs stood a young maid who also served as Kagome's best friend. Sango noticed the distressed expression on Kagome's face and placed her cleaning materials aside so that she could take care of Kagome. Once Kagome reached her destination she fell into Sango's arms, sobbing. Sango gently rubbed the young woman's back soothingly and sighed.

"Oh, Kagome, I know how it is to lose someone you love. It will get better with time, I promise." Kagome looked at Sango with calm eyes and nodded slowly though she felt her heart was broken into a million pieces.

"I still cannot fathom the truth," Kagome whispered. "I long for him to return from the grave as if it was a nightmare that I could awaken from. But 'tis not to be and I must face the music." Sango nodded and released her friend.
"Shall I fetch you some tea Kagome?"

"Yes, please Sango," Kagome whispered. "I shall be in my quarters."
"Of course," replied Sango with a curtsy and a bob of her head. She hurried down the stairs to do her mistress's bidding and Kagome retreated to the solitude of her bedroom which was adorned in black as well. She made her way across the room and picked up a black and white photo that had been taken the day she and Inuyasha had married six months previous to that moment. Her thumb gently caressed his image and she pressed her lips to it. Smiling sadly she wrapped her arms around herself with the photo in her embrace as well. She sank to her knees and wept her tears falling onto the picture. She threw her head back and stared up at the ceiling with blank eyes. Sango knocked on the door and entered without receiving a response and placed the tray of tea onto the table.
"You must take in nourishment for you shall fall ill otherwise," Sango chided gently.
"Then perhaps I would pass on and join Inuyasha," Kagome whispered. Sango sighed and knelt at Kagome's side helping her to a black upholstered chair with elegantly carved arms and legs. She handed Kagome a cup of tea and Kagome drank from it deeply not caring if she was ladylike or not.
"I saw the monument that they erected in Inuyasha's honor," said Sango. "It does him great service." Kagome raised her eyes over the rim of her cup.
"Really?" Kagome questioned with a slight smile. She finished her tea and lightly placed the cup back on its silver tray. Sango nodded the affirmative and sat down at Kagome's feet. She herself wore black as it was the custom of the time for even the servants to don black clothing. She glanced around Kagome's room and nodded to herself noting that Kagome followed society's rules on mourning to the very last bit. The mirror was covered in black crepe so that Inuyasha's spirit could not be trapped within its reflecting depths. The drapes closed over the windows so no light could penetrate into the interior of the room. All in all, the room was like a tomb in its own right and it would remain this way for another year until Kagome reached half-mourning when she could step down from full fledged mourning and shed the constraints of her sorrow. Sango heard Kagome whimper and she looked up to see the young woman with her head in her hands, sobbing. Once again Sango rose to the call and helped Kagome to her bed. She dipped a cloth in the cool water at her bedside and rested the now soaked cloth on Kagome's forehead. The water, scented with rose, soothed Kagome and soon she fell into a deep sleep. 'And now,' Sango thought wryly, 'I need to speak with her physician and ask her not to give her anything for I fear she shall overdose and bring herself to illness or worse…death.'

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Kagome awoke late in the night hours after the sun had taken its leave giving the moon its moment in the spotlight. Yawning with her delicate hand covering her mouth Kagome surveyed the dark room and sighed realizing that she still lived and remained without her beloved husband. She slid from the comfort of her bed and looked down at herself with a slight smile. 'Sango changed me whilst I slumbered,' she thought silently. She fingered the smooth material and walked towards her chamber door with her long raven waves swinging slowly from side to side like the pendulum of the clocks which had been stopped the moment Inuyasha had been discovered as deceased. (Author's Intervention: It was a custom in Victorian times to stop the clock when the person passed away) She opened the door and walked down the carpeted hallway with her hands held in front of her. She knew the pathway by heart and thus needed no lantern to light her way. As she moved to descend the stairs she heard the whispering of voices inside her father in law's study. Curiously she moved to the door and pressed her ear to the heavy wood.

"It is your duty as Inuyasha's brother, Sesshomaru," she could hear Inutaisho say. Kagome frowned already sensing what they were talking about.

"I understand that Father, but I have no interest in marrying Inuyasha's bride." Although she knew what was coming she could not withhold the gasp that came from her parted lips. Quickly she moved away from the door and dashed down the stairs where she collided with a very sleepy doctor who also had been a friend of Inuyasha's.
"Oh, forgive me Doctor Hanoi," said Kagome quickly as she bowed her head. The young man with dark hair and playful violet eyes chuckled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"Have no worries," he replied as he placed a concerned hand on Kagome's shoulder. "How are you faring with this situation?" Kagome heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head.
"Well, I suppose I was doing just fine until I discovered that Lord Inutaisho desires his elder son Sesshomaru to wed me out of duty to Inuyasha's memory." The doctor stroked his chin in thought and nodded slowly.
"Forgive my saying this, Lady Kagome, but you most likely will be expected to take up Lord Sesshomaru's offer of marriage if he asks for your hand." Kagome's jaw nearly fell open but she made sure to retain her lady-like qualities even in her shocked state.

"And why, may I ask, would you say that?"
"I say this because it is an unwritten law that if one brother dies the second brother must do his duty to the widow and not leave her alone. Why, even King Henry VIII did this."
"Yes, and look what happened to poor Queen Catherine," mumbled Kagome but she managed a slight smile and curtsied. "Thank you for the time Doctor Hanoi. I should be returning to my bedchambers now." He inclined his head with agreement and walked past her down the hall to the bedroom at the far end of the massive room towards his bedroom. Kagome's fingers clutched onto the warm fabric of her black night shift and ascended the stairway. But the conversation she had overheard still rang like a bell inside her mind. A frown crossed her features and she entered her bedroom where a separate room connected to her bedroom housed a sleeping Sango. Kagome crossed the boundaries of her quarters until she reached Sango's bedside. With a saddened smile she tucked her best friend in seeing how Sango had tossed the covers from her body during her wild slumber. She stirred slightly but did not awaken giving Kagome time to leave the room so that she could return to her warm bed. The moment that her head hit the pillow her heavy brown eyes closed giving her the rest that she needed in order to continue on with her life.

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Whilst his household slumbered Lord Sesshomaru layed in his bed with his muscular arms folded behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling with thoughtful golden orbs and then he gave a sigh. He could still not remove the image of his brother's corpse from his mind. Sesshomaru remembered vividly what Inuyasha had looked like when he had first been brought home after the accident…

01Flashback01

The sound of weeping filled the chamber as incense candles burned on carved wooden tables. The body lying on the maroon fainting couch was badly beaten with several bleeding holes where bullets had pierced his skin. His cold, lifeless hands were held in the warm hands of his doting wife whose eyes were watering with the pain and grief that she felt at that moment. Sesshomaru watched on with numb emotions pulling at his heart strings. He turned his attention to his brother's wife who now stood with her hand reaching towards her face to dry her tears. All London knew at the moment was war and now Sesshomaru's own brother was another victim of the war's cruel hand. He turned to go when he heard his father's tear choked voice call to him from behind.

"Sesshomaru," said Inutaisho in a rare moment of heavy emotion, "don't leave. We need you here." And for some odd reason Sesshomaru felt that he could not refuse. So he stayed there the rest of the night watching over his brother's body vigilantly silently praying that his soul would reach the heavenly gates that were opened now accepting all victims of the battles.

01Flashback Ends01

That night, Kagome dreamt with restless fervor. Her mind saw nothing save for Inuyasha's glowing face which smiled at her with comforting warmth. He reached out a glowing hand and urged her with a nod to take it. As she did so she was rushed through the clouds soaring like an angel with wings but the only angel in this place was Inuyasha. Soon they paused in their travels and Inuyasha brought Kagome into his arms. Here he was a solid image not some figment of her grief wracked thoughts.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as he buried his face in her soft raven locks. "I've missed you so."
"I should be the one declaring that," she whispered in return as she clutched onto his white robes. Her tears fell down her cheeks openly as she stared up into his kind face. "Your father desires for Sesshomaru to marry me to take your place." Inuyasha frowned but said nothing. Instead he showed her around the sky with eager indications with his finger. But then Kagome began to feel as if she were being shaken in the real world. He turned to her and kissed her forehead softly.
"It is time for you to return Kagome," Inuyasha told her. Kagome shook her head wildly but Kagome found herself falling from his embrace to the green ground below her arms outstretched as she screamed for him.

Kagome awoke with a gasp to find Sango staring down at her with worry in her brown eyes.
"Kagome," Sango murmured, "you weren't awake and I had begun to worry." Kagome sat up and the soft blankets fell from her body.
"I was dreaming," she said quietly. "I dreamt that I was with Inuyasha. He was beautiful Sango and I wanted to stay with him forever. But I knew that I couldn't and then he let me go. Now I'm here in the real world without him." Sango held Kagome sisterly as the woman sobbed painfully at the misery that she felt. Sango stared around the darkened room and looked down. She too had lost her family due to the war. Her father had been slaughtered in battle, and her mother had passed on from heartbreak. Soon after, Sango's younger brother Kohaku snuck into the war registration office and was admitted into the army. He too was killed leaving Sango with no one but herself. She understood what Kagome was feeling but she knew that her pain could be nothing like the pain of losing one's husband. So she continued to hold Kagome hoping that things would become easier for the young woman to accept.