A/N: Thank you to Shadow Phoenix 16, RocketLauncher, secret25, Yueh16, yaoiluvur, MonsterSnickers, sleepdeprivedsoul, Nala1220, , Farenheit July, sri kungfon, Tevivo, Guest, lil joker 1989, Disturbed One, Wolf'sVine, and Acheron's Akribos for reviewing ^.^

Responses to anonymous reviewers:

RocketLauncher – Great to see you again ^.^ Thank you so much for the reviews!

Wolf'sVine – Well, he is a brat, but probably not the kind you're thinking of. It will become clear in the next few chapters, I hope.

Disturbed One - Of course ^.^

Guest – Thank you so much!

Chapter 2

"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep. I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion."

-Alexander the Great

...

After Sesshoumaru's small army had lost the war against the Eastern kingdom, the captured men were thrown in a cell underground till it was determined what would be done with them.

Prisoners from a foreign land were kept in a separate holding cell, away from the regular prisoners. If any criminals condemned by the state were really desperate, they could unite with foreigners to attack the government from within. The state could not take that chance, and the foulest, darkest dungeon was kept for holding foreign prisoners. There was a smaller cell built inside the dungeon, so the prison consisted of basically a dungeon with a cage inside it. The bars of the cell must have been placed there for the sake of mocking the youkai within because there was no way the rusted metal would hold against even a moderately powerful youkai. However, it did the job of constricting the prisoner's space and movements, and there was always the bonus of getting to punish any wayward youkai that damaged the cell.

Warriors and servants together were placed in the same cell and given the same amenities. This served two purposes – it saved the cost of building separate cells, and it would piss off all the higher-ranking demons to be in the same cell as their servants, forced to endure the same conditions.

That was how Nobu, the elderly servant who had been brought along with a handful of others in the service of Sesshoumaru and his men, found himself in the cell in the miserable company of soldiers. When asked who their leader was, the soldiers had, as one, looked to Sesshoumaru-sama. So, Sesshoumaru-sama had been taken away separately and the soldiers were giving in to panic in the meantime.

Nobu had been with the Taisho family for many years, and now, his duties were more in the nature of a butler than a servant. Even though he was a full-blooded youkai, his face was showing the lines of age. His once auburn hair was now almost completely grey. He was getting too old to travel with the army, and this was to be his last mission before he was confined to an administrative position in the Taisho manor.

He laid his head back against the damp wall of the cell. His cheek and ribs were throbbing from where a few of the soldiers had used him as a punching bag as a way of relieving their fear and frustration. Inu no Taisho strictly did not allow servants to be mistreated in his household, but many things went on during war time that would have been unthinkable in the peace, and the sudden and terrible defeat the army had faced had shaken their self-confidence and their sense of decorum.

It was the first time Taisho's men had faced defeat in a long time. These particular men were supposed to be the best of the best, and the closest they had come to defeat was almost not winning. For years, they had basked in the glory of being victorious warriors, conquerors of a violent land. And here they were, stuck powerlessly and helplessly among the scum that weren't fit to wipe their boots.

Nobu's son, Jun, was huddled in another corner of the room, thankfully hidden from their wrath in the shadows, sleeping while he still had the chance. The soldiers paced the dank, foul-smelling dungeon, cursing their ill luck and their prince, scuffling with each other at the slightest provocation, and taking out their anger on any servants unfortunate enough to get in their way.

There were supposed to be guards posted at the cell doors, but the dungeon was so cold and damp and smelly, that the guards stood at the edge of the stairs that led down to the dungeons instead of in it at the cell doors. After all, it wasn't like the prisoners could get out of it; apart from the rusty bars of the cell, the dungeon itself was at the foot of a mountain. Unless they could cut open the belly of the mountain with their bare hands, without any weapons, they weren't going anywhere. And the guards didn't really give a shit if they fought among themselves and killed each other – it would just mean that much less work for their people.

Nobu turned his head when the cell door clanked open on its rusty hinges. He watched with horror as Sesshoumaru-sama was shoved in unceremoniously by a pair of youkai guards. They were bull youkai, by the looks of them, tall and with ripped muscles, and they held a tall spear in one hand, while the other was on Sesshoumaru-sama's arm. Sesshoumaru-sama had his head bowed while his hands were shackled in front of him. By the smirk on the faces of bull youkai, it was very evident that they did not consider the silver-haired demon any kind of threat. Sniggering to themselves, they locked the cell doors and went back to their posts at the head of the staircase.

The servants, who had been huddling in the corners and fringes of the cell, trying not to get in the way of the soldiers dropped to their knees. The soldiers quieted a little, but glared at him resentfully. Their tense muscles, covered with a nervous sweat, glistened threatening in the poor lighting as they watched the one responsible for their fate walk in. The demon Lord made a poor sight; he was clothed in the same sack-cloth as earlier, and by now it had dirt and marks on it. He was barefoot and there was even dust on his face and on his person, that almost hid the purple stripes on his face and arms. With his eyes lowered, to someone who didn't know better, he looked almost ordinary.

Lord Sesshoumaru was still their prince, and they had some innate courtesy ingrained in them over the years that prevented them from immediately attacking him, but that was circling the drain. Bearing and conduct were everything in youkai society, and if the demon Lord had lost them in this strange land, there wasn't much that would keep the soldiers obedient.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," one youkai began, voice impudently loud in the night. He was a lion youkai, who had been the leader of this elite battalion through all the battles they had won, and Sesshoumaru's second in command. He was one of ones most angry about their plight; he would never have led them to defeat like this with such a poorly-made plan. It wasn't fair that Lord Inu no Taisho had so casually entrusted their lives to the reckless and arrogant Sesshoumaru-sama simply because he was his son.

The demon Lord raised one finger to his lips to quiet him, shackles jangling as both hands had to be raised for the action. For the first time, he raised his eyes to the room, and to the soldier's delight and apprehension, they were very far from submissive.

"No one is to say my name," he ordered in a steely voice that was soft, yet carried all the force of a prince and General. "You will not cause trouble, you will not get yourselves killed until I get us all out of here."

"My Lord?" one of the soldiers whispered, blinking confusedly. The others looked at each other, equally confused.

"I am not the son of Lord Inu no Taisho," Sesshoumaru stated, speaking slowly to make sure the dim-witted men understood him. "We have no connection to the Western Lands. We are merely upstart rebels from neighbouring kingdoms. We were arrogant and stupid, but we're harmless."

The soldiers stared at him in disbelief; he already looked like had gone through hell. How exactly was he intending to single-handedly get them out if their captors weren't even to know he was the heir of the Western King.

"Wh-what is the point of this, my Lord, if we may ask?" one of the other soldiers whispered.

"The point," Sesshoumaru said, his voice almost a whisper too, "Is to stay alive until we find an opportunity to escape. Unless you want to take your chances with the enemy alone, out-numbered and without weapons?"

He let his eyes roam over his men. Most of them looked away, but some looked as though they didn't entirely think that was a bad idea. Sesshoumaru's eyes settled on these men and his lip curled into a sneer.

"It would be kind to take your stupidity for bravery," he said softly, and they flinched. "But seeing as you had neither the courage, nor the discipline to conduct yourselves on the field of battle and execute a simple plan, that is not possible."

The rebellious soldiers lowered their heads shamefully; their Adam's apple bobbed as they swallowed nervously.

"In the meantime," Sesshoumaru continued, letting his gaze roam over the others. "you will blend into this society as best you can without revealing your identity or the name of your homeland, until you receive further orders."

The lion youkai, who was himself a burly man, made more threatening by his caged aggression, stepped forward, frowning. "Pardon me, my Lord, but I don't think-"

Sesshoumaru's hand snaked onto his throat so fast, the man didn't see the daiyoukai move. He froze like a deer in headlights, the razor-sharp claws flirting with the delicate skin on his throat. Hand still around his throat, the demon Lord had turned him around, holding him flush against himself, while he was forced to face his men and servants.

"Did I give you leave to speak?" he asked lightly. Warm breath tickled his ear as he was held up against the prince's body.

The man opened his mouth to answer, but that only caused the grip on his throat to tighten, and he settled for shaking his head no. He was a warrior; he wasn't afraid of dying in battle. But he had seen the effects of Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Tsukiko's poison first-hand and whatever else his fate may be, he did not want to die like that. And if it was anyone else, he would have called their bluff because there was no way even the General could afford to lose him in this time of need. But this wasn't Lord Inu no Taisho; this was his conceited heir, and he wouldn't put it past him to crush his throat.

"I will say this only once," Sesshoumaru said over the terrified youkai's shoulder, voice low and dark and threatening, letting his gaze sweep over his men. "I do not intend for any of us to perish in this pathetic waste of land. You were chosen for this battle because Lord Inu no Taisho holds your battle prowess in high regard. I have given my word to the Lord of the West that we will return victorious."

The soldiers took in a quick breath.

"I will be relating each and every one of your sins to the King when we are back," Sesshoumaru continued, claws playing idly with the throat in his grasp. "and if any of you have not the strength to follow orders for fear of what may happen, you may as well kill yourselves now-" the soldiers cringed. "-because you can bet your pathetic lives that what Lord Inu no Taisho will do to you for disobeying orders will be far worse than anything that will happen to you in the Land of the East."

The soldiers bowed their heads in acceptance. The servants, who were already kneeling, lowered their eyes fearfully, and bowed their heads down to the ground. Something in the shadows caught Sesshoumaru's attention and his eyes landed on Nobu. The grey-haired man had winced as he bowed. Sesshoumaru knew the old man well enough to know that his very strict sense of decorum would not allow the pain to show on his face if it wasn't impossible for him to hide. Golden eyes found his bruises even in the dim lighting. The youkai he had grabbed almost whimpered as the clawed fingers tightened briefly, and against all his instincts, he went limp in the demon prince's grasp.

Then he was released suddenly; the man dropped to the floor like a doll, looking up shakily to see what blessed thing had diverted the demon Lord's attention. He blinked as he followed the prince's line of sight; there was nothing there except a servant.

Feeling the prince's gaze on him, Nobu got to his feet and hurried over, bowing low before his Master, even though it made his injured ribs compress painfully. He flinched in automatic terror as Sesshoumaru caught hold of his chin with his shackled hands; no nobleman, let alone the prince, would touch someone of his station without the intent to cause pain. But the demon Lord only raised his chin up, allowing light to fall on the cut across his face.

"Who did this?" he asked quietly. The whisper fell like a whip lash. The soldiers flinched but didn't reply. Even with his back unbowed, Nobu was considerably shorter than Sesshoumaru, and the demon Lord's action forced him to rise to his toes. The soldiers, who had suddenly lowered their eyes to the floor, shot furtive glances at the servant held in the awkward position.

Golden eyes swept over the terrified men. He had merely intended to prove a point with their arrogant leader, but it seemed these men were worse than vermin. He once again marvelled at the fact that these were the men his father considered best suited for this mission. They had already displayed their incompetence and their cowardice, but that they would raise a hand against a respected retainer of the royal family was incomprehensible, and even more so now, when they were stuck in a foreign land where medical attention would be almost impossible to get.

They were loyal enough to each other to not name the perpetrators, but the way their terrified eyes went furtively to the ones at fault, and the way the guilty ones wouldn't meet his eyes, gave him all the answer he needed.

He leaned down and murmured the names to Nobu. The retainer's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to deny it, but when he raised his eyes to Sesshoumaru's, the power in the golden eyes wouldn't let him speak the lie.

Everyone heard the murmured names; nobody spoke. The lion youkai was suddenly fiercely glad he hadn't vented his frustrations on any of the servants.

The demon Lord released the servant from his grasp and lowered his shackled hands; Nobu stumbled back, head bowed low, not daring to look at the soldiers. The demon Lord glanced up once at the head of the staircase where the guards were too busy chatting with each other. Before the eyes of his hypnotized men, his poison whip snaked out from where his hands were lowered. The soldiers' mouth fell open in terror, and the whip darted inside the guilty men's mouths. Faint, choked sounds were audible and then the men fell dead to the floor as Sesshoumaru withdrew his weapon.

The soldiers remained frozen where they stood; nobody screamed. Cold youki permeated the cell, and the soldiers shivered, feeling their aggression dissipate like mist. They hadn't yet had the misfortune of bearing the brunt of Sesshoumaru's unleashed youki in a closed space, and each man knew he wasn't going to be able to forget the experience going forward.

"You will conduct yourselves after the manner of the Land of the Moon," Sesshoumaru said in a soft, deadly voice that would haunt their nightmares. Cruel golden eyes surveyed them disdainfully as though they were nothing more than dirt under his feet. "That we are in a strange land, is no excuse for your reprehensible behaviour. Do not forget that you still answer to Lord Inu no Taisho."

"Even so," Sesshoumaru added softly, almost as an afterthought, casually walking over and kicking the body of one of the youkai into the wall. "Whilst we are here, you answer to me, and I have only so much patience. If I come to know of any of you misbehaving with those who are your charge to protect again-" Sesshoumaru smiled pitilessly, glancing languidly at the dead youkai. "-I do with you as I please and take my chances with my father."

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped up suddenly to survey his men. "Is that understood?" he demanded sternly.

Whimpering, the men glanced fearfully at each other and nodded vigorously. The demon lord met each of their eyes by turn to make sure his point had gone across. Then he broke eye-contact and the youkai released a breath they didn't know they'd been holding.

Nobu was standing where he'd left him with his head and neck bowed, knees trembling slightly. With a gesture, Sesshoumaru led him into one dark corner of the dungeon. The other soldiers shot them furtive glances, but said nothing and instinctively huddled together in a different corner of the cell, as far from them as possible.

Shackled hands gently smoothed over the bruise on the elderly man's face. The retainer raised his head to give the demon Lord access. His neck was exposed submissively and though he kept his eyes trained on the floor, tears gathered in his eyes at what the demon prince had done for his sake. Sesshoumaru's eyes softened imperceptibly as they gazed at the expression of surrender on his face.

"I am sorry for what you had to endure," Sesshoumaru said gently. "And even though you are injured, there is something I must ask of you."

Nobu tried to bow low, even though his ribs screamed in protest, but the motion was arrested by the demon Lord's iron grip on his forearm. "There is no more need for formality," Sesshoumaru told him. "Do not do anything that will make your injuries worse, for medical aid may be hard to come by."

Nobu opened his mouth to protest,

"That's an order," Sesshoumaru added almost teasingly. "Fortunately, what I require of you will not be hard on your injuries."

Nobu drew back unconsciously, worried by the amusement dancing in the demon prince's eyes.

A few hours later, Nobu was supremely uncomfortable. Without question, this had to be the hardest thing he had ever had to do in his considerably long life. He looked pleadingly at the demon Lord, but Sesshoumaru gave him a stern look that said he would just have to do as he was told and that there wasn't any choice in the matter.

"B-bow your head, when you do that, my Lord," Nobu said awkwardly, hands hesitantly touching the demon Lord's back, then flinching back automatically.

Sesshoumaru obediently adjusted his posture.

Nobu nodded hesitantly. "T-that's perfect," he said.

Sesshoumaru raised his head up from where he was kneeling on the floor to look at the other man where he was sitting on the little nook in the wall that was now serving as a rudimentary seat. Nobu looked down despairingly into golden eyes.

"I-is that all, my Lord?" he asked desperately, fidgeting where he was sitting.

"Not even close," Sesshoumaru told him.

Nobu tried his best not to slump in his place. It was exhausting, what he had to do. It was the one thing he had never imagined he would be doing.

And that was teaching the prince of the Western Lands, the daiyoukai Lord Sesshoumaru to be a good servant.

A/N: Please review or comment and let me know what you think ^.^