As soon as the Western Lord was seated, the servants came out with the trays of food and set them on the tables. After Sesshomaru started eating, small conversations started up around the dining hall as his guests started to eat. He took a sip of sake and saw the young Phoenix to his left picking at a piece of bread.

"Oi, Lord Sesshomaru, who is the young beauty you brought in with you? She looks too young to be in the royal courts without an escort of some sort," a Ookami demon called from the middle of the room and there were several whistles directed at the young red head at his side.

"She is in my care," Sesshomaru growled, making most back off instantly. "You make any attempts of any kind directed at her, you will be removed instantly."

"How did the Phoenix come into your care? She was not here just last week," a woman sneered and Sesshomaru saw Jacqueline cringe slightly as she kept her head lowered. "Well we all can see she barely as any will in her, you'd be able to bed her easy. Such a submissive child."

It was silent for several moments before an aura flared angrily around the dining hall. Sesshomaru looked at Jacqueline as he heard a growl from her and realized the flared aura was hers. Sesshomaru watched amused as he saw her eyes bleed red as she got to her feet and glared at the one who insulted her.

"You have no idea of who you are talking to bitch," she hissed. "You wouldn't even last a week if you had been captured and tortured, constantly hit by holy energy and speared through with spears and blades every fucking night. You probably wouldn't even have lasted a day if you had been branded with a seal that practically locked away your youkai! Don't assume that I'm some submissive child when my will is stronger than yours! I've been tortured by the monk Ungai for two full seasons before I was saved by the Western Lord..."

"Lord Sesshomaru, are you not insulted by this child's behavior?" The demoness turned to him trying get him on her side.

"This Sesshomaru has no need to punish her. You insulted her in my presence, it should be you that is punished," Sesshomaru spoke with a small smirk and the demoness fell silent.

"I'm finished," Jacqueline spoke quietly and bowed slightly before leaving the hall quickly.

Sesshomaru flared his aura slightly and Tsukami came to him and bowed slightly behind him. "Yes milord?"

"Tell Daisuke to bring the young Phoenix to my study and bring a tray of gentle foods for her," Sesshomaru spoke as he got to his feet. "This Sesshomaru has duties to attend to, enjoy your meal."

Sesshomaru walked up to his study on the third floor and sensed Daisuke already there with Jacqueline, who from her aura, seemed distressed. Sesshomaru entered his study and the young Inu soldier left without having to be told. He looked over at the young girl and saw her lying curled up on the pile of pillows in the corner of the room, holding one of the smaller ones to her chest as she hid her face. He smelt her tears and walked over to her and sat near her as he flared his aura gently and heard her heart stop for several seconds before she lifted her head slowly to look at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

As soon as Jacqueline was outside the dining hall, she started running down a random hall. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she ran, she had never been so insulted before and it was painful. She turned a corner and ran into something hard as she entered a small stairwell and screamed.

"It's just me," she heard a slightly familiar voice and saw the soldier from this morning. "Lord Sesshomaru asked me to bring you up to his study, he will be there soon."

"O-ok," Jacqueline hiccuped as she tried to dry her eyes but it was no use as the tears kept falling.

"I'm going to pick you up, alright?" She heard him say and nodded before she felt him pull her into his arms as he jumped off the ground instead of using the stairs. "Never been around any lords or ladies like that have you?"

"N-no..." Jacqueline force out.

"Most are like that young miss, they don't really care if they insult or hurt verbally. They think if your strong enough to defend yourself, your someone to be respected. Every new guest has to lean that in the Western Citadel," he spoke calmly as he started walking down a hallway. "I do admit that Lady Kyomi went a little to far considering you're only a century while everyone else is several centuries old apart from young Rin who just turned twelve."

A door was opened and Jacqueline felt him knee down and she felt something soft under her and looked around. She saw herself on a pile of pillowed in the study she had been in twice already and grabbed the nearest one and held it to her as she curled up against the fluffy pillows as the tears kept streaming. After several minutes, she heard the solider leave by the sound of his armor and seconds later she felt an aura flared and froze. She pulled the pillow away from her face and saw the western lord leaning back on the pillows, watching her with a blank expression but saw confusion in his eyes.

"Why the tears young Phoenix?" His voice was soft, almost inaudible to her ears.

"Do I really look so weak?" Jackie whimpered quietly, holding the pillow closer to her.

"This Sesshomaru does not think you weak," he spoke calmly.

"Yeah, but you know what I've been through," she growled slightly as she sat up and stared at the pillow in her lap.

"You defended yourself in the dining hall without even thinking," Sesshomaru complimented before there was a knock on the door. "Enter."

Tsukami entered with a silver tray and set it on the edge of the desk. Jackie lifted her eyes slightly and watched the woman as she picked up the room quickly before leaving. The young Phoenix wiped away her finally drying eyes on the sleeve of her kimono while still holding the pillow in her lap.

"Is the food on that tray for me?" Jackie asked as she saw a bowl of fruit on the tray.

"Yes," Sesshomaru spoke as he finally got to his feet and walked over to sit at his desk. "You seemed to be having a hard time with the bread so Tsukami brought softer foods."

"Thanks," Jackie smiled a little as she got up, grabbed the tray and brought it back over by the edge of the pillows.

For the few hours, Jackie picked at the food as she read a book she had pulled off one of the shelves while Sesshomaru read through scrolls and worked. It was quiet and Tsukami came in several times bringing tea and to check up on them before leaving again. Other than that, there had been no other interruptions just the way Sesshomaru liked. Soon after the sun fully set, there was a small knock on the door and Sesshomaru sensed that it was Rin and the young demoness that tutored her in the evenings.

"Enter," Sesshomaru spoke as he put down the scroll he had been reading through and Rin skipped into the room as he felt the demoness with her walk back down the hall like she did every night. "You finished your studies for the night?"

"Yep," Rin giggled before she clasped her hands over her mouth as her eyes went wide. Sesshomaru looked where she was looking and saw the young Phoenix demoness asleep on the pillows, curled up around her injured arm as it laid against her torso. "Poor Jackie, first day here and she falls asleep before the sun."

"The young one is still injured and is trying to recover," Sesshomaru spoke calmly.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin's voice was soft as her hands fell to her sides. "The bad man that Jackie mentioned at dinner... Is he the monk who kidnapped me when I was first traveling with you?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru replied, slightly surprised that she remembered the monk so clearly.

"Why isn't she healing as fast like when you're injured Lord Sesshomaru? Isn't she a pure bred?"

"The Phoenix inside her was injured as well so she is not able to heal at her normal pace."

"Ahhh," Rin's eyes widened in realization. "Are you going to leave her in here to sleep?"

"No Rin," Sesshomaru spoke as he got to his feet. "It is time to turn in for the night."

"You're going to carry her?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer as he knelt next to the young Phoenix and shifted her on her back before scooping her into his arms and got to his feet. He saw Rin smile as he passed her and felt her follow behind him. Sesshomaru took the stairway near his office to the fourth floor to the royal wing and entered the guest room where Jacqueline had stayed. Rin ran forward and pulled back the covers and he laid the red head onto the bed and stepped back.

"Rin, head to your rooms and this Sesshomaru will be there soon," Sesshomaru spoke quietly, keeping his gaze on the young injured demoness.

"Ok," Rin smiled quietly before leaving the room quickly, closing the door behind her.

Instead of calling a servant like he should have, he walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a nightgown and carefully undressed Jacqueline. Her form was small and showed the lack of nutrients the past two seasons. She had on a pair of black short shorts and a chest wrap which he was grateful for. He grabbed the bandages off the nightstand and redressed her wounds before starting to slid the nightgown on her.

His fingers accidentally slid across her right side and felt several bumps and frowned. He leaned over her and saw a branded mark right under her chest wrappings, black against her pale skin; Ungai's personal seal of a monk praying to the sun. His beast recoiled in his mind and felt it growling as he stared at the branded mark.

'She should be dead by now,' his beast hissed.

'And yet here she is, even if she's healing like a human. Can you sense her demon?' Sesshomaru thought as he quickly finished dressing her in the knee length purple nightgown, sleeves going to the edge of her shoulders.

'Barely, it has been severely injured. Two seasons of constant torture and trying to keep her host alive then Sounga's attack on her body. Even your half brother had a hard time recovering from when he was controlled by that demon sword. Better leave the room before she decides to wake up.'

Sesshomaru looked at her and saw her shift onto her side, curling up around her injured arm again. He let out a small sigh before pulling the covers over the young demoness and leaving quickly. He walked over to Rin's room and saw that she had already gotten ready for bed and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Jackie doing ok?" Rin asked quietly.

"Yes, her injuries are healing," Sesshomaru replied as he came to the edge of the bed and lifted the covers for Rin to slide under. It wasn't too often that he was able tucked his ward into bed at her bedtime.

"She's healing like I would, isn't she? We talked about youkai healings a little today and what happens when a youkai's inner demon was injured."

"She's healing a little faster but not by much. Time for sleep Rin."

"Night Lord Sesshoamru," Rin smiled as he turned to leave the room.

"Night Rin," Sesshoamru let out a small smile before leaving and retiring to his chambers.