I do not own Inuyasha

I have had a bad week, please make it better with reviews.

Sesshomaru stayed pretty close to the palace when he could, delegating less important patrols to the troops. While Melissa was busy with her classes during the day Sesshomaru helped his mother with the responsibilities his father left behind. Kimiko had explained to Melissa he needed to start taking over anyway. She had taken control because he was barely more than pup when his father died, but he was old and mature enough now to start assuming his rightful place.

There were, however, times when he had to leave for days at a time. He found he could travel more quickly and return to Melissa if he left Jaken behind. His girls were definitely having an effect on him, he told Jaken he was one of his most trusted vassals and that he was needed to help guard Melissa.

It was a job Jaken took very seriously. Not having been privy to every conversation he believed Melissa was pregnant. Or would be soon. How could she not be with a virile youkai like Sesshomaru flooding her womb with seed every chance he got? He was not merely guarding some human girl, he was guarding Sesshomaru's unborn son!

He also kept Granny company while they watched over Melissa. They spoke softly while she was with her tutor or learning kendo from Kimiko. Granny had to remind him a few times to keep his voice down as he had a tendency to rant and get carried away. But otherwise she was glad for the company, she was out of sewing projects.

Melissa dreamed she was in the courtyard watching children play once again. Or rather listening to them. She hadn't seen them, they were playing in leaves once more, giggling and shrieking with laughter. Then a child screamed and yelled "She bit me!"

She was about to stand and separate them but Sesshomaru strode past her dressed in his green outfit, reached into the leaf pile, and extracted a little girl with golden hair. He held her face down around the waist with one arm and drew back the other. His free hand swung down out of site and the little girl jerked in his arm and growled "What was that for?!"

"You know very well what that was for. If you can not quit biting him I will start pulling your teeth in the morning, you can subsist on infant foods until you learn." Sesshomaru scolded the girl.

Smiling Melissa stood and went to pull the crying child from the leaves to comfort him, but the courtyard dissolved. She found herself standing in a void of grey foreboding. Then she was in her chambers. Someone had set breakfast on the table and set a vase of flowers on the table as well.

She sat down to eat. Fish, rice, pickles and her favorite recipe for white miso soup. She lifted the soup to sip it but just as the bowl touched her lips someone shrieked "Mama no!"

The bowl was slapped out of her hands and the soup sizzled on the floor and table. Melissa stared in shock at the spilled soup then looked up at the golden haired girl. She stared at Melissa with frightened golden eyes. "Don't eat the soup!"

Melissa jerked awake then realized it was a knock on the door that woke her. Granny slid the door open and helped Melissa dress for the day. It was simply something no noble lady could manage, with all the layers and intricate bows.

Granny was just finishing when the table and food were bought in. Hihanna carried the table and Yuki the tray of food which she handed to Granny to examine. Granny sniffed each bowl and plate carefully before setting them down on the table as Hihanna began dusting and Yukie cleared away the bedding.

"I have dream last night that soup was poison." Melissa whispered to Granny. Granny paused and picked the soup back up, sniffing it again. She had the small dish and an extra set of chopsticks sent up with every meal so that she could taste strong smelling foods for Melissa. She poured a small bit in the dish so that she could taste it.

"Your soup is fine, my little lady. It was just a nightmare." Melissa nodded and began eating her meal.

Sesshomaru was expected to return in a day or two and Yuki asked Granny a question about the preparations needed. When Granny turned to answer her Hihanna came a knelt before Melissa, touching her head to the floor. "My lady, I wish to apologize for my behavior when you first came to live here. I was out of line"

Many of the staff had warmed up to her since she'd saved and tended Kiyoshi. However she was sceptical that Hihanna was impressed by that act. What was she up too?

"Oh, that is a pretty arrangement, my lady. So nice to have a little color this time of year." Melissa turned to see what Hihanna was pointing at. She had pointed to a red vase with black and gold dragons. It held bare twigs with dark bark loaded with red and orange fruits. They were not edible fruit, just pretty.

Hihanna bowed again as Melissa turned back around and returned to work. Melissa picked up her soup, then stopped. "Why did you point berries out?"

"What? Oh, I thought it was pretty, my lady."

"You put something in my food while my head turned."

"What? N-no, My lady, of course no-"

"Those berries have been in vase for many days. You have never give them second glance. You wanted me turn away." Melissa told her sternly, picking the bowl up and carrying it to Granny who Hihanna was standing near. Granny glared at her as she took the bowl. As Granny lifted the bowl to her nose Hihanna hit the bottom so that it splashed up into her face. Hihanna had slid the door closed when she'd entered so Granny's cry of pain didn't carry out to the hall, the guard had no idea what just happened.

With Granny temporarily disabled Hihanna drew a poison tipped dagger and lunged at Melissa. Melissa drew Raven and just managed to block the attack. Yuki ran forward and grabbed her sister's arm trying to pull her back.

Hihanna turned and punched her sister but Yuki held on to her arm and punched her back. Granny transformed and tried to protect her charge, but she was blinded by the poison in her eyes. She used her sense of smell to try and grab Hihanna with her massive jaws, but between her being blinded and the two younger youkai moving around she grabbed Yuki instead.

She realized her mistake and released Yuki unharmed, but it gave Hihanna a chance to attack Melissa again. Melissa again blocked the attack but saw an opening to attack. This proved to be a mistake. Melissa slit Hihanna across the belly and then yelled in pain as boiling blood splattered across her own arm and belly.

Granny lunged forward again, this time with Yuki out of the way she caught the right one. Hihanna flared up so that flames covered her entire body, but Granny continued to maul her for as long as she could, burning her face badly in the process. Eventually though she could not hold her any longer.

Yuki had grabbed Melissa around the shoulders and ran with her for the door but Hihanna broke loose before they made it and grabbed both girls by the hair and flung them back into the room, ripping out a fistful of golden strands. She ran at Melissa whose breath had been knocked out of her but Yuki lept to her feet to intercept her. Yuki grabbed Hihanna's arms and as Yuki's hands glowed blue Hihanna's arms became strangely stiff.

Hihanna's arm's began to turn pale and bluish, her fingertips looked frosted. At the same time moisture in the air began to condense on Yuki's hair then instantly froze so her hair looked grey and then white as the frost thickened. Then Hihanna flared her fire again, thawing her arms and burning Yuki's hands.

Hihanna managed to break her sister's grip and punched her. Yuki returned the blow and attempted to grab her sister again but Hihanna dodged and kicked her sister. Granny following the smell of hot blood managed to grab Hihanna and tossed her head, flinging Hihanna across the room.

That was when Jaken showed up to protect his lord's beloved and opened the door so that the din of the fight erupted in the hallway. He darted to Melissa first and checked that she was alright. Seeing that she was he then ran at Hihanna.

The guards had longer legs and would have reached her first but Hihanna flared up so that they couldn't touch her. Jaken Lept forward and struck her in the head with his staff. Then he attached a spell tag to the end and hit her with that. Before the tag could catch fire water gushed from it. It boiled instantly into steam but allowed the guards to subdue her.

Hearing the noise Kimiko and Kumiko arrived with several guards in time to see Jaken subdue Hihanna. Kumiko ran to fetch the healers and Kimiko went to Melissa who picked herself up and ran to her lady in waiting.

"What's happening? Where's my cub? Merissa!" Granny called looking around blindly and near panicked in the chaos.

"I here! I fine!" Melissa told her, her japanese slipping a bit. She embraced her lady in waiting and turned to Kimiko, "She poison eyes!"

"Kumiko has gone for the healers." Kimiko told her. Turning to the guards she informed them, "Her mother is a snow maiden and her father is a phoenix, she has never shown this level of ability before so be cautious, we cannot know what else she has kept from us. She is not to be killed until I have had a chance to question her."

"Wait!" yuki called to the guards who were trying to escort her sister out. Reaching them she ran her hands along the bottom edges of Hihanna's sleeves then reached in the front of her kimono. She finally extracted a tiny bottle and handed it to kimiko who frowned at the crest on the bottle.

Meanwhile Jaken ran up to Ume and instructed her to lower her head. She did so and Jaken placed a spell tag on her head then tapped it gently. Water began to trickle down from the tag, flushing her eyes and soothing her burned face.

The room was a wreck so the decision was made to move the three injured women across the hall to be tended to while the maids cleared up. When the healers arrived they were shown the bottle which was otherwise hidden in Kimiko's sleeve as it had Daichi's family crest on it. After examining the contents the head healer gave orders for Granny's eyes to be rinsed out with an herbal infusion while Melissa's burned hand was coated in salve.

"You're fortunate you were wearing youkai silk, my lady." the healer told her as he examined the red burns on her belly and arm. "The silk protected you, had it been from mortal silkworms the blood would have soaked through and burned you as badly as this hand. These are first degree burns, the redness will be gone in a day or two. The one on your hand is a third degree burn. It will take weeks to heal."

"How should she be cared for while she recovers?" Kimiko asked.

"I will send someone to change the dressings and apply salve when she wakes and before she retires. Other wise I want her to use it a little as possible for the time being. She can feed herself if she thinks she can manage it, but nothing more."

"And Ume's eyes, will her sight return?"

"I will have them washed daily also. As to whether her sight will return only time will tell. She's not young, and the poison was in her eyes for some time. It is possible she will suffer permanent vision impairment."

A few hours later Sesshomaru arrived and slid the door open with such force that the frame would need to be repaired. Granny jumped a little at the noise, being unable to see but Jaken was at her side and patted her hand as he greeted his lord. He knelt in front of Melissa who'd been speaking with Yuki.

She smiled and threw her arms around him. Yuki and Jaken pretended not to see her display of affection. Sesshomaru accepted her display, wrapping his arms briefly around her then held her face in his hands.

"Show me your hand." He ordered having obviously heard about the attack. She held it up and he undid her wrappings. He wanted to lick the deep burns, but the salve would do her more good than his saliva so he rewrapped it then looked over at Granny,

"Granny, how are your eyes?"

"I am still mostly blind, Maruchan, but I can see a white blur that I assume to be you. It is an improvement from right after the attack. The healers say we won't know how much of my eyesight will return for a while yet."

"Mother and I have discussed your centuries of service and we agree you have more than earned your place here. Whether you choose to resume your duties upon healing you will always have a home here. If your eyesight does not return we will find ways to accommodate your limitations."

"You and your mother are very gracious my lord. I do wish to resume my duties as soon as I am able." Granny replied.

"Yuki, have your hands healed?"

"Yes, my lord." She replied holding them out to him.

"You are no longer a maid, you are to be Granny's assistant. You will help Melissa dress in the morning and assist both she and Granny with whatever they need. You and Granny will reside in this room for the time being, you will come to my chambers to assist Melissa in the morning. Melissa, it is time to retire."

She stood and walked to the door with him where he stopped and turned back to Yuki and Granny, "The three of you will be provided with musical entertainment while I am attending to some matters tomorrow." Then he stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind Melissa.

She was exhausted! She yawned and discarded her kimonos, pulling on a sleeping yukata. She lay down on the futon then felt Sesshomaru opening her yukata. She placed a hand on his to stop him and shook her head. "No. No sex. tired."

"I know you are, dear. I wish to examine the burns on your body then you may sleep." She nodded and allowed him to open the yukata. As he was examining the burns she drifted off to sleep.

The bright pink burns looked painful, but would heal in a day or two. But even if she had wanted sex he could not have lain upon her without causing her pain. But perhaps she could ride him tomorrow, he always enjoyed that. Once he'd seen her burns he just sat and gazed at her body. When was the last time he'd just looked at her? Since they had started having sex they had been having it all the time, but when had he just gazed upon her beautiful body?

Her body had changed a little since she'd been living in the palace. Even with her kendo lessons she was much more sedentary and the food was richer than wild plants. And Granny, who deemed everyone as too skinny, had discovered Melissa had a sweet tooth. The result was her once hard belly had a layer of softness to it. She looked a little more like she had when she first arrived, though still more beautiful. Still pretty slender, but softer, less toned.

He smiled and caressed her belly. Honestly the thin layer of fat made her more comfortable to lay upon, more cuddly in his arms. And he found her little belly to be adorable. Her hips were also slightly rounder, easier to grab on to. He gave an unburned section of belly a light pat so that it jiggled for his amusement. She would likely be angry if she knew he was playing with her belly, she hated it.

He wondered if he'd ever see her little belly large with his child. He tried to imagine it, a hard, round belly, breasts swollen with milk. She'd be lovely with child.

But then he smelled a smell from her that told him she would not be riding him tomorrow. That tomorrow would be more trying that he had thought. He quietly got up and dressed, deciding to start his day quite a bit earlier than usual. Perhaps it was cowardly, leaving her to wake up in a pool of blood alone, but anything he said or did only ever seemed to make things worse when her blood was flowing.