AN: By now someone must be thinking I bite off more than I can chew, which would be absolutely true. I can't help it! It's like a disease. Creating stories and then not finishing them…Sigh. This was something I tried way back when, but it got deleted during my computer's monthly cycles of combusting. So I decided during my fanfic frenzy, I'd rewrite it. It's my very lame shot at humor. Don't kill me if you die from it. Sorry for any errors, as always.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. (And some would say a sense of humor.)

Behind Castle Walls

Chapter One: Royalty Doesn't Necessarily Mean Classy

"Wake up! Wake up! Are you deaf?! Wake up!"

The girl on the bed groaned and turned on her side, facing the wall, her back towards the now annoyed woman.

Sango putting her hands on her hips, narrowed her eyes at the scene. A typical morning was all she could think of. Their orders every day were to get up at five in the morning, sharp. No excuses either. It was a part of their job and they had to abide by the rules! But Kagome obviously didn't function that well in the morning, so it was up to her to make sure the girl got up and time.

"Lady Kaede will be upset if you don't get up! Remember the last time you slept in?"

Kagome quickly jolted out of bed and ran to her shabby armoire that held her maid's kimono outfit and a few other garments. While she was hurrying she looked over at Sango, a grateful look on her face. "What would I do without you, Sango?"

"You wouldn't work here, that's what." Sango responded, though she smiled a little too. "And personally, I don't see how you can sleep on those beds! They're hard as a rock. And it's always cold here too." She rubbed her arms a little at the mentioning of the cold atmosphere.

"I'm a heavy sleeper, what can I say?"

Sango rolled her eyes and headed for the doorway. "Make sure you get ready quickly. Lady Kaede hates it when you're late. You're just lucky she likes you enough," Sango teased before walking down the hallway.

Kagome sighed but finished tying the ribbon around her waist that kept the kimono together. After looking in her slightly cracked mirror, she ran out the doorway and literally sprinted all the way downstairs to the kitchens. Hopefully no one would rat her out for being the late one.

When she arrived at the kitchens, she saw Kaede waiting near the entrance, a grim look on her face with her arms crossed. "Late again, Kagome?"

Kagome quickly bowed before looking back up into the one visible eye of the woman who was the head maid. Though the amount of work she did was…questionable. But she was also a miko, and therefore she was needed. In fact, Kagome was undergoing training from Kaede. The castle called for many as useful people it could contain. People never knew when attacks could take place when holding a domain such as this one.

"Ye do remember that today is the day the Taishou clan is coming to stay?" Kaede questioned, already knowing the answer.

Shit. "Yes, Lady Kaede. And I'm supposed to be preparing foods for the feast, correct?" It was a pure guess.

"Yes ye are. Glad to know ye remembered something today. Although it was by pure chance." The woman cackled to herself before wheezing and choking on her own spit. Grumbling curses to herself, she walked out of the kitchens, hobbling on her nearly broken legs.

Realizing that she didn't have much time to spare, Kagome ran over to a huge counter and began chopping some vegetables that had been set aside. As she was chopping with practiced precision, she swore at herself for forgetting the fact that the Taishou clan was arriving today for their yearly visit. A time when both lords along with the other "important figures" discussed whatever it was that they discussed. Kagome didn't really bother to indulge with the other servants' gossiping.

After dumping the vegetables in a pot and stirring them over the hot flames, she walked to another area of the spacious kitchens and began to mix some sort of stew together. Knowing that this was the only chance she'd get to taste some of this delicious food, she quickly took a sip of the broth and looked around quickly to see if anyone had witnessed the act. She locked eyes with another man who glared at her as if to say 'I damn well saw you!'

She merely shrugged her shoulders before cleaning up the mess around her and stuffing things back in the cabinets.

One had to wonder how she hadn't been kicked out of this place.

--

"I don't care if they don't allow more than two weapons per person! I have three and that's that!" Sesshoumaru glared at the officer before him, daring him to retaliate. He cracked his claws for good measure before being allowed passage through the gates. This place killed him. Every time they made some sort of fuss about him carrying "too many weapons". By now they should've known that nobody questioned him! And of course, Tenseiga couldn't really be considered a weapon. Though of course, the topic of him abusing its healing abilities had been brought up…It was only once! Only once did he bring back someone from the dead to slaughter them again! Only once!

"Sesshoumaru," the bane of his existence called. "Sesshoumaru! I know you can hear me. I didn't marry a dog demon for nothing!" Izayoi hollered at him, a placid look painted on her face. "I know all the characteristics of one, and one thing that I know for sure is that they have good hearing, so listen to me good! You will be respectful of the others that have so kindly invited us to stay." By force, Sesshoumaru thought, though he kept it to himself. Nobody ever told him how powerful human women could be.

Sesshoumaru glanced at his father, who was smiling in a rather dense way and nodding his head in agreement with Izayoi who gave him a pat on the chest for being such a good dog. Sesshoumaru being disgusted was an understatement.

"So!" Inuyasha hollered, propping an elbow on Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "Excited 'ta see that girl you always slobber all over? What's her name? Rin?" He grinned as his older brother pinched the bridge of his nose and 'accidentally' elbowed him in the stomach.

"And how many times have you drowned that human girl in your drool?" He inquired, inwardly smirking. Try getting out of this one!

"Girl?" A female voice questioned with an air of annoyance. "Please, Inuyasha. Tell me about this girl."

"Kikyou!" Inuyasha yelped while Kikyou sent him a look that could kill. Once they were in, he was a goner. Sesshoumaru let a tiny, sadistic smile erupt on his features when he heard Kikyou and Inuyasha quietly quarreling with one another. Ah, a marriage soon to be in ruins…How pleasant.

As they neared the entrance of the castle, a small man, no taller than three feet greeted them, before signaling for the doors to be opened. As the two huge, double doors opened, the Taishou clan was greeted with all the servants, females on one side, males on the other, bowing. Except for one of course who accidentally bowed a bit too far and fell on her face.

Oh Kagome…

Sesshoumaru studied the scene with little interest. This part was always dull. He just wanted to get his room and lock the door up. The stench of humans was going to give him a fatal sinus infection.

"Welcome!" A loud voice bellowed, in an almost…sinister sort of way. "I am so glad that you could all join us again this year." Of course everybody knew he secretly meant 'I can't wait until you annoyances leave.'

"Lord Naraku, my man!" Taishou greeted in a way that would suggest they were the best of friends. Well, maybe to him. Let's just say, the feeling wasn't mutual. "It's great to see you again! Any big parties planned, eh? Eh?!" He laughed heartily before being nudged by Izayoi.

"Of course, of course." Naraku replied. "Well now. My servants here will show you your rooms for your stay! Dinner will be served at seven!" With the clap of his hands, the servants immediately took their previously assigned people to their rooms.

Kagome walked over to Inuyasha and Kikyou and gave them a quick smile.

A barely visible tint of red appeared on Inuyasha's face as he returned the smile. Kikyou was less than pleased. It was obvious now as to whom the 'girl' was. Luckily she was only a servant and not of royal status. Otherwise she'd actually have competition. She smirked at the fact that Kagome was out of luck when it came to Inuyasha. She had dibs on him first anyways!

After walking up several flights of stairs, Kagome pushed open a big wooden door and moved to the side, gesturing for them to walk in. "The room is all prepared for you two. Dinner will be served at seven. If you need anything, just call for me." With that, she gave a polite smile and briskly walked away.

"Nice girl," Kikyou quipped.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru was already situated in his room, the door bolted shut. He let out a deep breath, relieved to not have to breathe the same air as those humans did. Unfortunately though, his room happened to be right next door to Inuyasha's and that lovable wife of his. He actually enjoyed her company. She was quiet, calculating, and cold. Not to mention she was a highly regarded miko. But she could really bitch if she wanted and that was annoying enough.

As he stared out the small window of his quarters, he was dreading the fact of having to step outside this small sanctuary. The maids that passed by in the hallways always giggled and whispered to one another, commenting on how gorgeous he looked. Although he would've preferred 'handsome' or 'dashing'.

But either way, their endless prattle annoyed him to no end, and to have to deal with this for six months was not something he was pleased with. At his own domain, the maids there were already immune to his good looks.

Go figure.

--

The feast had just started and already Kagome was wishing she could leave. Not only was the idea of watching other people stuff themselves boring, but the suggestive looks that Myouga was sending Kaede was enough to make anyone want to die. She sent Sango the universal 'gag me' look which was intercepted by Naraku who sat at the very end of the table on the far right of Kagome.

The extremely long table that must've seated two hundred people was filled from one end of the table clear across to the other end. There were three chairs seated at each end of the table, the biggest one in the middle and two medium sized ones to the right and left of it. At the left end of the table, Taisho set in the middle, with Izayoi to his right and Sesshoumaru to his left, the latter one averting his attention to anywhere that didn't have a human in his line of vision (which was quite powerful), which inadvertently led him to staring at his food.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was sitting beside Sesshoumaru, with Kikyou right next to him who was glaring daggers at any of the women a part of the Onigumo clan who dared to stare and admire Inuyasha. As Inutaishou had once said, she was acting like a true "Territorial Inu Youkai Bitch" would. He still didn't understand why she got so upset over it. He was merely speaking the truth.

"Um, excuse me? Could I get some more wine?" Inuyasha called out. Just as one of the maids began to walk over to him, Kikyou quickly looked over at Inuyasha, the closest thing to a 'sweet' smile on her face.

"You can have some of my wine, dear."

He gulped and slowly took her glass of wine that seemed like it was going to crack from the pressure of her fist that was grasping it. "Thank you…" She beamed at him, as if nothing had even happened, while the maid slowly took a step back.

And people had said the Onigumo clan was weird…They obviously hadn't met the Taishou clan.

While a lengthy battle of wits (or not, considering Inuyasha wasn't fighting back at all) ensued between the miko and the hanyou, another battle was taking place: Izayoi and Abi, Naraku's wife. And even though the table was so long and they were so far apart, flames were skyrocketing from their eyes and clashing halfway. "Something wrong, dear?" Inutaishou asked Izayoi, seeing the deadly look on her face. (He was actually more afraid for his own wellbeing, seeing as she usually did that when she was pissed at him.)

"Not a thing." She replied pleasantly. That bitch is going to pay.

Down at the other end of the table, Abi was smirking, knowing their fight would take place elsewhere, though she didn't expect much from a human.

There was so much love going on through this feast, you could just see it.

Rin, who was sitting on the other side of Naraku, was moving around the food on her plate, rearranging them into random patterns. Naraku looked at her, eyebrow raised. In a falsely sweet voice he began, "Rin dear! Why don't you eat your food, hm?" He smiled and tapped her hand with his fork which was meant to be a slap, though it looked like a friendly little pat to everyone else. If one listened closely enough to Rin, they'd hear her chanting the mantra "Remember Rin, you are adopted, you are adopted. You have no connection to this family. No connection."

Kagura, her older sister who sat beside Rin, was stealing glances at her, almost as if she were trying to burn her with her ruby eyes. Damn her! The only reason she's sitting there is because she's not married! Thanks to the fat lot of help this 'family' provided, I'm married to this stupid Kouga freak. He's a barbarian! Now she decided to send her glare in waves towards Kouga who sat beside her, unaware of her anger.

"Thanks to you, I'm not the one who gets to sit across from Lord Sesshoumaru!" She hissed.

Kouga merely grunted and replied with something that sounded like a "You can barely see him from this distance!"

Kagura huffed and returned to her dinner. Rin smiled smugly to herself. At least one good thing came out of this night.

--

It was about two in the morning when Kagome collapsed on her bed. The cleanup had taken longer than she expected, so it was a relief to be back in her room. Not even the abnormally cold atmosphere that seemed to settle in only her room and the fact that the bed was hard as rock didn't deter her from the task at hand: Sleeping.

Just as she was about to let her eyes drift into slumber, she heard door slam so loudly that it seemed to vibrate all over the castle. Curiosity took over her mind, so she pushed back the covers and crept down the stairs, a candle in her hand. If she wasn't mistaken, it was coming around the area of Inuyasha, Kikyou, and Sesshoumaru's rooms.

Knowing she could get in trouble for meddling in their business, she hung back by the stairs, trying her hardest not to be noticed. Even though she had a candle and they were inu youkais…Good with scent and hearing and all. It was worth a shot anyway.

Straining to make out words, she leaned closer, towards the hallway where their rooms were.

"Can you not control her?" Sesshoumaru hissed. "Every time she talks, she has to complain about something!"

Inuyasha sagged his shoulders, not really knowing what to do. She did have a right to be mad…But he couldn't help the fact that he looked so damn good!

"And what does it concern you?" Kikyou asked sharply in the direction of Sesshoumaru. "What I say to Inuyasha should be none of your business."

"Well when you gripe so loudly, the whole domain could hear you!"

Just then, from somewhere far, far away, Inutaishou put an end to the matter with a "Will you SHUT UP?!"

Taking it as her cue to leave, Kagome stealthily ran up the stairs with the candle (God only knows why she couldn't bow that perfectly earlier), hoping she wouldn't get caught. Finally, she reached her room, and shut the door tight. A few moments later, she extinguished the candle and curled herself under her thin covers, knowing it would be a rather interesting six months.