The House of AnimeJB

Title: The Untouchable Chapter 3: The New Life
Rating: R
Pairings:Kag/Inu, Kik/Sess, Mir/San
Warnings: Alternate Universe, naughty language

Summary: Kagome is a lowly untouchable. What happens when she accidentally touches a hanyou prince?

The New Life

“What the hell is this?” The prince’s booming voice echoed throughout the corridor and bounced from the ceiling so that Kagome had to go through the pain of hearing him reject over and over again. Is this what the land’s beloved royalty was like? They just picked people off the street,gave them hope, and then crushed their dreams? And here she thought that she might be free from the disgusting life of an untouchable. She thought she would be spared the punishment of being executed for touching the prince when she was ordered to swim in that pond. Was she really brought here to be a toy? To provide the prince with amusement for a short while, to let him play with her life until he felt like ending it?

Evidently the guard thought so. He smirked wickedly. “Forgive me, Lord,” he said as he bowed to the angry prince before him. “I should have known you were joking when you said to bring her to you; I will have her disposed of immedi–”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” the young hanyou spat. “Look at this wench! How dare you bring her to me like this?”

Kagome’s head sunk lower in shame while the guard hurried to answer. “I understand, my Lord,” he rushed, “which is why I will–”

“Shit, man!” the prince continued, slamming the door frame with his fist and not even acknowledging the guard’s response, “She’s wearing nothing but a bathrobe! Her hair is sopping wet and she’s dripping all over the floors! She looks like a wet rat! For Kami’s sake, what if word gets out that a guest of a castle was brought before me as such!” he ranted loudly, oblivious to the shocked look he was receiving from both Kagome and the guard. “What would the people think of me, accepting the fact that some wench was running around her almost naked! Hell, my brother would kill me himself!” He snarled and pointed down the hallway to the left of his door. “Take her to Sango for measuring and a temporary wardrobe.”

“B…but Lord Inuyasha…” Like lightning, the youkai was lifted into the air. His eyes were wide and frightened as he stared down at the hanyou who was holding him up by his chain mail - with one hand, no less.

“CLOTHE HER,” the prince growled, and dropped the guard on the floor with a clatter. As he strode back into his chambers, his amber eyes flicked back to Kagome and he gave her an almost imperceptible nod before he slammed his door on the confused untouchable and the embarrassed castle guard. The pair were bathed in silence for a few moments, dumbfounded by the order that had just been given.

Finally, the guard forced himself to rise to his feet and strode past Kagome in the direction that the prince had indicated. “Come,” he mumbled grudgingly, “You shall be clothed.”

“Y…yes,” she breathed, and hurried down the hall after him. Just what was going on here? It was obvious that this guard was just as confused as she was about the situation - he couldn’t understand why the prince wanted to keep her in the castle, especially when he knew that she was an untouchable. It would have served her right to die for touching someone as noble as he, and the fact that he was allowing her to stay - not just that, but bathing her and now clothing her - only served to strengthen her conclusion that she did not even deserve to sleep in his dungeon, let alone tread the very halls upon which he walks daily! Not that she was complaining, because she had a feeling that being executed wouldn’t be very pleasant.

Kagome was brought before another door that was not quite as elegant as the first, but still quite impressive. Instead of knocking, the guard pushed it open and pulled Kagome inside. She gasped in awe; there were racks and shelves and closets full of clothing for all occasions - daily wear, fancy balls, masquerades…Kagome felt like she was visiting with the Gods, to be privy to such a fabulous room! And there, in the center, was a fairly pretty young girl, toiling away in a chair with a needle and thread to hem a pair of pants. Her hair was dark and silk, swept back in a high ponytail that did little to keep the hair from her back since it was extremely long. Her eyes were lightly tinted pink and her lips were full and pouting as she tried to push her needle into the thick canvas of the pants but succeeding only in pricking her finger. Sticking her wounded digit into her mouth, she glanced up at her visitors. When she spotted Kagome the girl’s eyes twinkled happily and she tossed her work aside to greet the robed untouchable.

“Thank you for bringing her to me, Sir Ookoumori. I will take care of her.” The girl bowed to the youkai guard, who curtly did the same and left the room without so much as a word. The girl turned to Kagome and bowed. “Greetings. I am Sango, the seamstress of this castle.”

“I am Kagome. Pleased to meet you,” Kagome replied with a lilt in her voice as she bowed, happy that someone was addressing her in a polite fashion though she knew she didn’t deserve it. Sango looked surprised that Kagome would have such manners (considering her background, that is) and she threw the still-wet girl a sweet smile.

“The same, Lady Kagome,” and giggled when Kagome stared wide-eyed at her. “I thought you’d like being called that, and you had better get used to it. Formality abounds here, even though it’s only for show.” She took Kagome by the hand and pulled her over to one of the wardrobes. “Something in here ought to fit you,” she said as she threw open the doors and started shuffling through the dresses which hung inside. “It’s great to have another female around here to talk to. You have no idea how lonely I get, what with the Lords Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha being so arrogant and Lady Kikyou up to her elbows in work. No one else pays me any mind, since I’m an untouchable and all, though sometimes I manage to have meaningful conversations with those who come to give me work to do.” She pulled out a frilly pink gown and held it up to Kagome, who was still in shock. “No…no. This is too childish for you.” She deftly hung the gown back up and started rummaging again when Kagome finally found her voice.

“What’s going on?” Kagome asked meekly, not afraid to speak before spoken to now that she knew Sango’s social status. Sango paused for a moment, leaving one hand on the closet to keep her place, and peered back at Kagome.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

All of Kagome’s thoughts came out in a rush as she babbled out her concerns to Sango. “Why did I not get executed? Why are people touching me? What’s with that lake outside? And,” she added as an afterthought, “how did YOU get to stay here?”

“Woah, woah! Take it easy, Kagome. I can’t believe that hard-headed idiot didn’t bother to tell you anything.” Sango went back to her search in the closet, considered a purple gown for a moment, and then pushed it aside. “The lake outside the castle is a sacred purification spring, bless by a powerful priestess centuries ago - Lady Kikyou is rumored to be her direct descendant, actually. Even an untouchable that bathes within it is purified completely for a least a week. As for Sir Ookoumori touching you before you entered the spring, his armor contains grains of melted sand taken from the bottom of the lake, protecting him from impureness. All of the guards here wear holy armor. It doesn’t harm a youkai, so long as that youkai does not have evil intentions.”

Kagome slumped to the floor, trying to take everything in. “Purified? Is that why I felt that way?” she said quietly, holding her hand to the back of her head where the injury was as a reminder that it was there and that it had disappeared when the water touched it.

“Yeah, it burns, doesn’t it?” Sango replied from inside the closet. “The untouchables in the castle hate bathing in the spring, because it burns our impureness away in a rather painful manner. But, if we don’t go every week, we won’t be allowed to stay here.”

Burn? Kagome certainly didn’t remember being burnt in the spring. She remembered a lovely tingling sensation coursing through her body. She decided not to bring it up; God only knows what would happen to her if someone found out the spring didn’t work.

“I see,” she said, as Sango tossed an elegant green gown at her. It landed in her lap, and she fingered the velvety fabric for a moment, not believing her eyes. She looked up aghast at the seamstress standing before her. “I…I’m to wear this? But I’m –”

Sango shushed her immediately. “I’ve been given strict orders for you, Lady Kagome,” she scolded. “You are staying here as Lord Inuyasha’s personal guest. As such, you are to be clothed as a Lady of this palace. You will also be given your own servants during your stay.” She pulled Kagome up to her feet and began to remove her robe. Kagome was too shocked to even notice.

“But…why?”

“No one is quite sure why, actually,” Sango replied as she pulled the gown from Kagome’s grasp and slid it over her head. “Lord Inuyasha requested that he travel through the town on foot yesterday, rather than ride in a carriage. His guards threw quite a fuss, but the Lord would have none of their objections and almost left without them before they finally gave in. We were quite surprised when he returned with you in tow, especially when he requested that you stay alive and live in the palace for a month.”

Sango finished smoothing out the gown and set to work on Kagome’s hair, which was now nearly dry. She pulled a comb from a leather pouch that hung from her waist and ran it through the girl’s hair, noting how nicely it sparkled as it fell neatly down her back. She left Kagome’s side for a brief moment and wandered over to a vanity table on which an ornate wooden chest was placed. She rummaged through it for a moment, then pulled out an emerald hair clip with a smile. “Lady Kagome, please come over here.”

Kagome did as she was told, and upon turning around found herself face to face with her reflection in the mirror. She could barely believe her eyes. Her hair was shimmering and her eyes sparkled; her entire body seemed to glow with…pureness. Pureness was the only word the girl could think of. Could that beautiful girl in the mirror be herself? Dull, boring Kagome? She couldn’t help but let out a little gasp of surprise as she took in her image, and how perfectly the dress fit, and…

“Hold still, Lady Kagome,” Sango said as she stepped behind the girl. She swept the sides of Kagome’s hair up and back behind her head, fastening it there with the hair clip she had just found. “There, all done,” she smiled. Kagome could only stare at herself in wonder. At that moment, the two girls were startled by the sudden opening of the door. Kagome spun around to see the youkai guard from before. He seemed to look as surprised at Kagome’s transformation as she herself was. He managed to regain his composure quickly, and addressed the seamstress.

“Sango, are you almost through? Lord Inuyasha is requiring the Lady’s presence at the dinner table.”

“Yes, Sir Ookoumori. Will you be kind enough to wait for Lady Kagome while I find her some shoes? She will need to be escorted to the dining area.”

“I shall wait,” he said with a stern expression as he studied the girl in the green gown, causing her to blush slightly. Shortly afterwards, Sango returned to Kagome with a pair of emerald green flats and slid them gently onto Kagome’s feet.

“The Lady is ready to be presented,” Sango said as she bowed to Sir Ookoumori, who nodded and bowed back.

“She shall be taken to the dining area immediately.”

Kagome turned to leave, but hesitated at the door before exiting with the guard. “Sango,” she says, turning to face her new friend and servant. “You never told me why you got to stay here.”

Sango smiled knowingly. “Let’s just say I can do something that no one else can do,” she says with a wink. A sharp glare from Sir Ookoumori caught Kagome’s attention, and she nodded at Sango before hurrying out of the room, wondering just what was in store for her next.

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