A small smile appeared on Jin's face as everyone made their introductions. It was good to know that though it was doubtless an inconvenience for them all to be here, they were at least trying to make the best of it. He glanced at his brothers, who were for the most part the same in that. Sora's reticence to speak in a public setting had not changed, though Jin knew he didn't get to blame his younger brother for that. Kai's obvious boredom was a little much, but he always had had a touch of the dramatic in him somewhere. A trait he shared with Adio (though his was planned and refined with time) and Lan, but not with the others as much.

A few moments passed, and Jin sighed to himself. Their parents had promised more information, but it seemed now that no such thing was forthcoming. "Perhaps we ought to go about getting all of you settled in. Your journeys must have been difficult." He recalled at least a couple different people mentioning having fallen asleep on the way, perhaps it would simply be a good idea to get them acquainted with their surroundings. He looked to Adio to make the final decision though; Jin did not much like being in charge of things, at least when they weren't related to his precious projects.

Of course, it was at this moment that his father's steward appeared, and the blond prince nearly exhaled his relief in a most obvious fashion. "Ehem," the man cleared his throat and handed Jin a list. "These are the assignments for your... guards." The middle-aged steward did not particularly appear to think this the right word, and though Jin inclined his head politely, his brow creased in displeasure at this. The least they could do was take the young women seriously; if they were here, surely they were supposed to be.

"Thank you, Makoto." The man bowed neatly and left, leaving Jin to break the news, so to speak. "Ah yes, well... hmm... it would appear that it is a good thing we all know names now. Let's see... Miss Mirren, you are to guard Adio. Miss Florastar, myself." He glanced up and gave the shy blue-haired one a gentle smile. He'd have to be sure to figure out what sorts of things made her feel a bit more comfortable. "Miss Yukira, Ivory." Jin looked up for a second, meeting Shizuo's eyes. "Although... I'm not exactly certain where he is right now." Jin blinked, fighting off something that vaguely resembled... disappointment? Oh dear, that wouldn't do, not at all. "Miss Ayame, Lan." That one brought some cheer back to him; it seemed that those two got along quite well already.

He continued down the list. "Miss Kizikiyo, Kai, and Miss Mahon, Sora." He finished reading and set the missive down on the desk behind him. "Your official duties do not begin until tomorrow, however, so feel free to explore freely today if that is what you wish. I believe you are being housed on the third floor. If you would like, I'm sure someone can show you the way." If none of the brothers wished to do it (and he certainly would), there were always various friendly staff people that would take care of it, he supposed.



Lenore took note of names, committing them to memory. It only made sense to try and know the people she'd be seeing every day for... longer than she liked to think about. She knew she sounded bitter and ungrateful when she spoke, and the part of her that had been schooled in the proper mannerisms to assume in front of royalty cringed at the way the words dripped from her tongue like so much caustic acid. The rest of her was agreed that the situation warranted it.

And yet... Lenore cleaned her knife with a napkin and re-sheathed it. And yet perhaps it would not be as bad as all that? It was, she had been told, a position of honor, and though she had not asked for it nor sought it, she had been inadvertently training for it her entire life, for surely that was what her father had been intending for all his lessons to do. Lenore looked up, once again meeting the eyes of the silver-haired one, Adio. She had always been told to meet people's gazes without fear, without reservation, for it was in the eyes that one could find the measure of a person, even if only a little at a time. She knew not what she saw in his, only that it interested her somehow.

It occurred to her that perhaps she was expected to demurely avert her stare, but if he didn't she saw no reason for herself to do so, and her brows furrowed thoughtfully. Why did he look at her so? Curiosity? She was not half as strange as the one who had injured herself with her own knife, nor half as sympathetic as the poor girl at the window. She didn't even protest the loudest or demonstrate the most energy. Therefore, the interest anyone would take in her specifically eluded her.

Her attention was drawn elsewhere when the steward arrived though, and she bristled slightly at his tone. Anyone who thought she wasn't fit to guard someone could tell it to her sword, on the practice field, as far as she was concerned. Still, he left in short enough order, and her focus reverted to a reading of the names. When she heard her assignment, it made a bit more sense. If Prince Adio had in fact known of this or guessed at it, it made sense that he would desire to know what kind of person she was.

When it was announced that they were free to go though, she stood abruptly, bowing to all present. She could find her rooms very much by herself, thank you. With this thought in mind, Lenore was the first out the door, looking around the expansive hallway she wound up in. She realized with a healthy dose of trepidation that she did not even know where the nearest staircase was. Perhaps she could ask a passing servant? Save for the fact that she saw none. She was far too proud to go back in and ask for help, but she wasn't going to wander aimlessly and get lost either. Shaking her head at herself, she picked a spot and leaned against the wall, deciding to ask the next person that came along.

Kitsumi had listened to what Jin had said silently, but she had groaned inwardly. A day free to herself? What did they expect her to do? She knew no one with whom to socialize, knew no place in which to pass the hours. She did not even know where to find her own rooms!
She looked around, feeling somewhat helpless and somewhat more overwhelmed. She had the strong urge to just sink to the floor, curl up in a fetal position, and cry until she awoke from this bad dream. But she knew that it was no dream, and she would never sink so low as to cry in front of anyone, especially not strangers! Besides, she was supposed to be a...guard? A protector of some sort to these young men. How could she be expected to do that if she let her eyes become misty at the slightest inconvienvence?
Still, Kitsumi knew not what to do. She looked first to one direction, then the other. In the end, she simply stood in the middle of the room, shaking slightly, indecisive and confused. If only my training had taught me what to do in this sort of situation! She thought.

Adio

Well, Jin certainly seemed to be falling rather easily into this leader thing. Surely any other Heir Apparent would find it grating and be filled with envy, no matter the situation. Adio, in any situation, never cared to let another shine. Jin never seemed to give himself enough credit when it came to speaking in front of others. He had the widest vernacular, Adio could never boast that, and his sense of poise and manner was no lower than heir's either. Adio couldn't help but stand beside the younger prince and feel a swelling pride in his chest, right next to the growing electricity for the rosey one. She was certainly not like any other woman he'd ever known. An averted, blushing gaze; a few batted eyelashes; pouting, colored lips. Miss Lenore needed none of that. She just held his gaze, peering deeper into him than anyone he'd known. Deeper than his father even. And that was a gaze that made Adio tremble.

When Makoto entered with the list, Adio was very ready to take it and read the names, but once again Jin beat him to the punch and he was left to his own thoughts. Adio was beginning to find his thoughts rather jumbled though. He did have many other things going on, as well as this rather strange mess with guards and oddly haired women and girls. The list was predictable enough, however the timid blue haired child and Jin was odd, not to mention the yellow one with Ivory. Adio frowned at the thought of his brother missing this. It was rude behavior and when he saw him it would be a firm scolding. Perhaps not, but Adio did like to seem fraught with disappointment sometimes. The king had no time to raise children, this left Adio and the tutors with the task.

Yes, it did seem he couldn't keep any of his thoughts in order. This was not like him at all and he was going to have to go to his room and sort some things out on paper. This was never good when one of the most organized men in Kandra was being driven into a chaotic mind. He would not blame it on her though. Not Miss Lenore Mirren. Of course, she was intriguing and he felt drawn to her in a different way than flirting, but she didn't incite confusion in him. On the contrary, really, she incited a straightforward need to know her. To know everything about her. The confusion... it was from everything else. So many girls, seeing all his brothers in one place, which hardly ever happened, and being given important information so late in the introduction process. None of this was very well thought out and he was going to have to talk to his father's steward and figure out exactly what the King had been thinking.

Jin spoke of the women being shown to their rooms and Adio finally felt a little peace. He knew where they would all be staying and he lifted a hand to gain attention.

"If the Princes would escort their respective guardians to their rooms, the young ladies will be staying in the West Wing. It is a lovely, airy wing meant mostly for Spring and Summer. Depending on how long you will be staying here, it can also be shut up tight for autumn and winter. A delightful, place, if I do say so myself." No one responded to his description, but he maintained a smile. Even if they were not impressed, Adio always found himself so. "My brothers and I regularly chamber in the North Wing of the castle, closest to the gardens and the palace proper. It is there you will also find our father. We entreat you, though, to not bother him unless you've been invited. Requests can be made to his steward, Masao, if you desire audience with him." This was all the necessary information they needed and so he clasped his hands at his back and watched as Lenore began making her way to the door. He laughed inwardly. Surely she had no idea where she was going.

"Please, feel free to use the palace grounds and treat them as your home." He stated at last and then bowed gracefully. With a smiling nod to Jin and the rest of his brothers, Adio made his way onto Lenore's path and exited the doors from the parlor. He saw her leaning stoically against a wall and he lifted a hand, his steps never slowing.

"Come with me, I will show you where to go." His smile was sleek, handsome, on his face and his silver eyes sparkled with mirth. The hallway they were in was vast, filled with statues of past heirs and kings and queens, even a few warriors who'd fought and won many battles. Adio slowed his pace a little to make it easier for Lenore to pick up her things and follow beside him. Something about her told the Prince she was never one to follow anyone around, and he could respect her need to walk beside a person.


Zahra

Sora. It was a nice name. It reminded her of birds, much like the hawk that perched on his shoulders. If anything could have made her smile, it should have been that beautiful bird of prey. But nothing was working. Not even the cool breeze against her face as she sat on that window sill. Zahra did not pay any attention to the names of the others, her mind was lost somewhere else. A dark place that she couldn't seem to climb out of. She had tugged just enough on the laces of her dress to gain a bit more breathing room, so breathing was no longer her issue. Now the young woman had to deal with all the happenings of that morning, of the past year with her so-called family. Zahra had to try and remember what her purpose had been when she walked out of the forest, before they'd gripped her up in a tidal wave of conditional love. Her village, the people she'd called her family once, they had understood her reasons. They took pride in her strength and her conviction to end the suffering of those left behind and bullied.

But now she was just empty. Lifted high into the sky with her blood family. Soaring through the air, almost happy, almost content, almost ready to give up what she'd started and be with her mother and father; only to be dropped from such heights that very morning. Her heart couldn't take it.

The servant, well pressed and neat, walked in with a tray and Zahra was thankfully pulled away from her awful thoughts. The hawk turned its head at Zahra, the feathers around its neck bristling then falling back into place. She gave it a half-hearted smile.

"Miss Florastar, myself." She turned her light blue eyes on the blond prince who spoke and was met with a gentle smile and intelligent eyes behind his spectacles. She tried to return the gesture, much like she'd done with the bird, but it was all fake. Zahra had never been very good at hiding what she felt; this was in no way different. The elder prince told them where they would be staying and that they should treat this place like home.

Zahra had never had a real home. She didn't know how.

Sighing, she stood up, readjusting her satchel and her dress and then looked up at the man she was going to be protecting. Though she was in a very foul and weakened state, Zahra wanted to reassure him that she would do her best to protect him against whatever foes came their way.

"Uhm, Your Highness?" She spoke in her tiny voice, lowering her head a bit. She had no idea how to act before royalty, but she'd seen a few people in her mother and father's village approach statesmen and noblemen. "I just wanted a chance to tell you, though I may not appear strong willed at the moment, I am a good fighter." She wasn't really sure of what else to say and so she gave a very clumsy curtsy, forgetting to hold up her skirts like a lady would. This made her stomach grow a little sick and so she stumbled about for a moment, trying to remember the proper exit (for Zahra wanted very badly to jump out the window and fall into a tree and stay there) and then headed in that direction.

Well, Jin was certainly taking more than he usually did. Then again, this was in some senses a mystery or at the very least a puzzle, so maybe he should have expected that. Sore really just wanted to leave. As the names were read, he scarcely bothered to pay attention. They'd start tomorrow; well, that gave him one more day of not being followed around. It was not that he was angry with whichever unlucky soul was going to be forced to guard him, but merely that he wished any of them had had some kind of say in the venture.

If he felt anything towards his future bodyguard at all, though, it was probably sympathy. He didn't exactly live the 'princely sort of life if he could avoid it, and more often than not, she'd probably find herself knee-deep in hay and feathers and good old-fashioned dirt whilst her contemporaries enjoyed space in the palace itself. Of course, one of them would have to follow Kai around while he tried to think up new ways to break expensive vases with sporting paraphernalia, and another would be spending more time in the library than was healthy for anyone, but at least Jin was considerate, he supposed.

The lot of them were dismissed, and Sora straightened from where he was leaning against the wall, and caught sight of Zahra (he had paid some measure of attention when everyone was introducing themselves) awkwardly trying to curtsy to Jin. Giving his brother a look that said I'll handle this if you look after mine, he followed the blue-haired girl out of the room and past where Adio was talking to (surprise, surprise) Lenore. He gave his brother a nod in passing, then caught up with Zahra.

"I'm going outside for a while," he stated without much inflection. "I think perhaps fresh air is one of the best remedies to most ills." He glanced sideways at the young woman and shrugged as if to say that whatever she wanted to do was fine by him, and instead of walking straight at the next intersection, he turned left, headed for a side exit that would take him out onto the grounds all the sooner. He walked quickly, but at such a pace that she could follow if she so desired. He thought he would perhaps pay a visit to the stables first, and then the falconry. Ophelia was getting irritable from being inside for so long, so he'd let her have reign over the sky for a while.

Rin looked up as names were being read as to which girl was which prince's guardian. She listened for her name and growled when her last name was mispronounced. She shook her head, trying to figure out which one was Kai. She hadn't been paying much attention and just leaned further into the corner, intent on staying in the room until it was empty so she could retrieve her knife.

She sighed, not wanting to be without her knife for long. She shook her head, turning around again and staring up at the knife. If she used momentum to run slightly up the wall, using friction to keep her there, she would probably be able to reach it. She shook her head at the idea, knowing it would attract too much unwanted attention. With a deep breath, she suddenly jumped up, higher than before. A true smile lit up her face as her hand wrapped around the handle of her knife, pulling it out of the wall. She landed with soft feet, making no sound as she inspected her knife for damage. Satisfied, she turned around and leaned against the wall again, sliding the knife into it's sheath.

She closed her eyes, sliding down the wall. She really didn't want to be here, stuck in a room with a bunch of princes, one of which she would have to protect. Opening her eyes, she finally remembered the face that went with the name Kai. She stood, pushing herself off the wall and walking towards him. She stopped a few feet away from him, staring into his eyes without a hint of intimidation. "You know who I am." She stated, knowing he would, meaning she wouldn't have to talk much more.

Shizuo let out a sigh of relief only to grumble later. Apparently a list was brough tin with their names paired to the ones they were to protect. She had no problem with being a body uard but it would be a difficult task if the one she would guard was nowhere to be seen. Even so, she couldn't speak or discuss the circumstances with him if he was no where to be found. She listened to the other readings having noticed the look of disapoint in Jin. She didn't quite know what it meant but something stirred in her for a moment. She dismissed it as uneasiness but was that really the case. Shizuo lowered her gaze hiding her frustration with the matter.

Once the readings were finished and all the girls were going with their prospective clients Shizuo stayed behind with hesitation. She turned towards the window watching the dappled sunlight filter through the glass paneling. There was no way she was going to go on some wild goose chase to find the prince. She thought back to the palace layout wondering which direction the west wing would be towards. She didn't want to follow the other girls. Not just yet. It would feel awkward and another con to that matter would be watching them converse while she alone stayed quiet.

Shizuo sighed gently. Wandering towards the general direction would be the best choice. She chuckled internally as a thought raised in her mind. Didn't uncle always say that my times of getting lost would help me? I hope that's the case now. Somehow I'll find my way.

She turned back towards the room gathering her things giving one last look to the prince, Jin, who had been kind enough to get her the information she needed correctly. Not that it helped much now. She passed by the others keeping her gaze to the walkway in front of her. She paid no mind to them seeing as once again, time for conversation would occur later.

She silently kept walking hoping that it was the right way to go. There was one pro to this. At least she could keep her head up no mater how lost she became. No matter. I might find a maid who will assist me in the matter. This will be easy. If I can handle a blade then this easy task will be accomplished with no effort. Right? She bit her lower lip to quell the uneasy frustration once again.

Kitsumi looked helplessly towards Sora, the one person she could have spoken to. She was his...guardian? Body guard? Well, something like that. She wanted to feign nonchallance and say that she wished to get to know him better before starting her duties. Yet he was heading outside, and she didn't want to be like a puppy tagging along, following his master's footsteps.
Kitsumi sighed, looking helplessly around the room. People were beginning to disperse, and she had nowhere to go. Her eyes grew misty, as she experienced loneliness, an emotion that was unfamiliar to her. She cast her gaze downwards, hoping that no one would notice the tears threatening to spill over.

Kai looked over in the direction of Kitsumi, or as she called herself earlier, Sumi, and looked straight into her eyes. He sighed, looking over to his brother Sora, the one she was meant to protect, only to see him walking out the door. Sighing once more, he looked over to the poor girl and shook his head. Sometimes, Sora could be so absent minded. Walking up to Kitsumi, Kai slowly saw, when approaching her, tears on the edge, being forced to stay in. He stood next to her and put his hand on her shoulder, eyeing her bright orange hair.
"Don't get upset. At least you had a life outside of here for a while. You should enjoy your time here. Here, I'll take you on "Kai's-Amazing-Tour-Of-The-Castle." And with that he grabbed her arm and went off down the corridor, bumping into his father.
"Ack!" he said, letting go of Kitsumi and clutching his stomach where he had been prodded with his Father's staff.
"Where you off to, boy?" the King asked, staring at Kai and laughing at his pain.
"Ugh... Maybe the medical room first?" Which was lucky, as it was right there. Well, one of them was. His father chuckled and carried on, and on his way prodded Kai in the stomach again, making his son growl slowly. "Toughen up boy!"
"Grrr..." Kai growled, standing up slowly. "Yes, thats the King of this country. He's a pretty good King. When he wants to be."

Sumi was surprised when one of the prince's approached her. She quickly tried to mask her emotions, not wanting anyone to see how upset she was. After all, she was here to do a tough job, right?
As Kai's hand went to her shoulder, her face flushed with color. No guy, other than her brothers, had ever touched her outside of battle training. It was an odd feeling, but not an unpleasant one. In fact, the warmth and weight of his hand on her skin seemed to soothe her a bit.
She smiled at his energy, and laughed as she was swept away with him. She was forced to hold back giggles, a totally childish thing in her mind, when Kai was prodded with his father's staff. She was careful to curtsy to the king as he walked off. "Yes, I'm sure he's a good king." She said quietly. "Are you ok?"

He probably shouldn't have said everyone could leave, and Adio's subsequent instructions seemed to get ignored completely. His own guardian left the room, but he was not about to force the poor thing to accompany him if she didn't want to. Sora left, too, without his guardian, but Kai seemed to be taking care of that, which left Rin and Shizuo without anyone to give her a hand.

Well, that much at least he could do. He approached her in what was now a mostly-empty room and smiled. "Well, that did not go exactly as planned," he remarked with a hint of embarrassment. "If you would like to be shown anything in particular, please accept my offer in lieu of the one I'm sure you would rather receive. Kai is... well, sometimes a bit forgetful, but if you wish to be shown your room or anywhere else in particular, I would be happy to be of service."

With that, he approached the door and held it open for the redhead. "I think it might be best if you are at least given somewhere to store your things first, perhaps," he offered courteously. Once she was out in the hallway, Jin caught sight of his father passing, apparently having teased Kai yet again. He dipped his head in formal acknowledgement, but was largely ignored. The king was not and academic man, and he tended to think that what Jin did with his time was foolish or at the very least not terribly princely. Still, he allowed it, and for that his son was grateful.

On the way, he ran into a slightly-confused-looking Shizuo, and before he had time to ponder exactly why, he was smiling and clearing his throat quietly from behind her. "Miss Yukio? Miss Kuzikio and I were just headed to the West Wing, if this happens to be the direction in which you were headed as well...?"



"Come with me, I will show you where to go." The voice did not startle her, per se, for she had known someone was approaching, but refused to lift her eyes from the tapestry directly in front of her, lest she be thought lost rather than admiring the scenery. Granted, this was very much the truth, but Lenore had a bit too much pride to let it outwardly appear so, even if his words made it obvious that he knew.

Gunmetal-gray eyes, dark enough to almost be considered black, met silver, and she noted with some level of confusion that he was smiling. It was not the expression itself that confused her. Though she was not one to often indulge, she did know what a smile was. No, what puzzled her was that something about it quite nearly forced her to return it in kind, and indeed, the corners of her mouth did inch upwards, if only a bit. It was the strangest thing; everything about his manner (and hers, she would freely admit) thus far had indicated that they shared virtually nothing in common. He had seemed, well for lack of a better word frivolous. Pampered, with overwrought manners, or something like that. She was practically the opposite: direct, no-nonsense, stern.

Yet... somehow it seemed so untrue, her initial impression, and now here she was smiling like an idiot even as she gathered her things and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with this peculiar man who was clearly far more enigmatic than she had initially suspected. "You seem to be handling this whole thing rather well," she pointed out plainly. "Do you not resent the intrusion upon your... life?" She knew not exactly what the right word was, but that one seemed as good at anything.

Adio

Adio continued with his well-paced gait, this time pushing his hands into his pockets. While she spoke, he listened carefully, just like he did with everyone, but instead, he also listened to the inflection in her voice. The way her lips formed the words. Especially the way she clicked her tongue when she enunciated her 't's. Lenore was well educated, not that he would ever hold that against anyone, but it was a breath of fresh air. And she wasn't so full of knowledge that she was lost in it, much like Jin. She was the perfect mixture of battle and books. Adio could really appreciate that.

Once she'd finished, Adio couldn't help but chuckle. Her shook his head, silver hair shifting back and forth across his forehead. Sometimes the Prince chose to keep it brushed but without any kind of style. It gave him a boyish appearance that most women could adore. Somehow, though, the prince felt Lenore didn't give much thought to the looks of anyone.

"Intrusion? Goodness, no." He looked toward her, finding that she was very tall, but he still had her beat by a few inches. For a moment, he remembered the way she'd returned his smile. It had been almost breathtaking. Adio wasn't one to normally be taken in by women, for he'd done that once before only to be met with heartache and betrayal. He knew keeping a distance from them was purely selfish. Sometimes, though, it was necessary. In Lenore case, he felt a strange need to be drawn in by her mystery and her fire.

"I do believe it is my father and his counsel that have intruded on your lives. All we can do is study and entertain the masses all day." Adio finally forced his eyes away from Lenore's and turned a corner. Before them rose a wide set of stairs. He began ascending them with grace. "I, actually, will enjoy the company of all you ladies. I tend to enjoy the company of the opposite sex frequently." Adio suddenly stopped, his head lower and his face darkened. Never before had he ever misspoke. In fact, because it had never happened, he wasn't entirely sure how to fix it. Balling his hands up into fists inside his pockets, the Heir Apparent took a few deep breaths, let a wide smile grip his lips and he continued up the steps.

"Purely innocent company." He added slowly, hoping that would help his horribly thoughtless comment.

Zahra

Zahra jumped a little when she heard Sora's voice beside her and looked up with wild eyes. She certainly hadn't expected anyone to follow her, much less give an indirect invite to go with. He kept on walking, turning left, and Zahra found her boots following closely behind him. Fresh air. The sun. The sounds of the breeze through leaves on trees... And hopefully a chance to change into more manageable clothing. Watching the way Sora's shoulders move as he walked, she felt like there was something about this Prince she could grow to like. They seemed similar in many ways. He chose to be outside when everyone else remained in. He liked birds, obviously as much as Zahra did. He was quiet. Zahra had never really needed conversation to feel like she was communicating with someone.

Taking a few wider steps, the aqua haired young woman fell in beside him, sharing the same path and staring down at the rather short hem of her dress. His strides were longer than her's, so she had to make up for it with a few more feet in her gait. Every now and then she felt the need to look up at him, just wanting to study his face. Zahra had been taught in her foster village that studying a person's face was the best way to know them. It was difficult as they walked down the hallways and out into the sunlight, but she managed well enough to know a few things about him, apart from what little she'd learned from inside.

Finally, she gummed up the courage to speak and adjusted her satchel while doing so. "If you do not mind, I will need a place to change. I cannot remain in this dress for much longer, lest I collapse." When Zahra did speak, it was strange, a bit too formal and a little broken. Having not spoken much with the people who raised her, Zahra learned more than half of her vernacular from her biological parents within just the last year. Each letter was pronounced clearly but with not much confidence. Another reason the young woman refused to speak often.

Rin sighed when Kai left, apparently ignoring her completely. She was quite surprised when another prince, Jin, approached her. She had always been expected to be the one to make first contact, but evidently not in this case. She couldn't help but chuckle softly at his embarrassment, coughing to cover it up. She listened to his offer, pondering it a moment before nodding, a smile curving the edges of her lips. "Is there anywhere I can train?" She spoke softly, her voice smooth and confident.

She followed him to the door, stepping out as he held it open for her. She nodded as he suggested that she be given a place to leave her things first, though she didn't have much to put in whatever room she was given. She unzipped her jacket, getting a little too warm for her liking. She took a deep breath, enjoying the coolness that spread over her as her jacket fluttered softly behind her. As the king passed, she didn't bow, nor curtsy, but nodded her head ever so slightly. She knew she needed to show respect to him, but would never to it in such an embarrassing fashion.

She couldn't help but smile at the young woman who appeared to be confused. She listened to the young man speak, hearing a soft, kind tone in his voice that made her smile grow. She wondered why this man had more effect on her than all the boys who had advanced on her back home. Her eyebrows furrowed, her lips pursing ever so slightly as she mulled over the thought.

"If you do not mind, I will need a place to change. I cannot remain in this dress for much longer, lest I collapse." Sora's eyes flicked to the young woman beside him, and he nodded his understanding. He had had the feeling she didn't like the dress, and it was far from suitable for the sort of activities one conducted on the grounds, anyway.

The fresh air outside was a balm to the headache he was almost certain was developing from being indoors and with too many people, and he smiled to himself, somehow curious if the girl beside him felt the same. He thought perhaps it must be the case; she had looked even more the part of caged bird than he in that room. Upon exiting the building, he led his newfound charge to the stable, and opened a lockable wooden door. The inside smelled of leather and it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was a tack room.

Suddenly doubting his choice somewhat, his words came out a bit more mumbled than usual. "Erm... I realize this is not exactly... proper, but... your other options were deeper inside the castle. If you have something with you, great. Otherwise... I keep a few tunics in there." He cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly, and stepped aside. "You can lock the door; I'll just... stand out here and make sure nobody tries to get in. Unless you want me to take you back, because I could..." he trailed off, running an hand absently though his already-disheveled hair.

If it hadn't been obvious before, it was painfully so now; Sora was absolutely horrible with people, especially females. For him, changing in the tack room wasn't really a big deal- he tended to get muddy out here, and his parents insisted that he be clean at mealtimes, so he often had to switch shirts and occasionally even trousers, but he wasn't quite so absorbed in the world he'd carved out for himself that he thought other people would be that comfortable with it.

Kai laughed. "I'll be alright. Last time, it hurt much more, and I still have the bruises..." he chuckled. Opening the door to the medical room, the shy nurse was in her corner, her hood above her head, hiding her face. Kai grinned. "This is the medical room. I go here when I'm hurt, but there is many others dotted about. This is Nurse Lila." And as he mentioned her name, she blushed, as she usually did when anyone called her name. This made Kai grin again, and he waved as he closed the door. Walking further down the corridor, he opened several doors, showing the library, the toilets, and the smaller bathhouse (Even if it was huge.) Then he walked in the direction of the West Wing. "I guess this will be where you'll be staying." he nodded when they finally entered the West Wing. "I would give you a longer tour, but I need to catch up on tennis practice. Sorry! Have a nice night!" Kai grinned sweetly, before adding "Meet me in the library later. We'll go on a little walk, okay?" And then he ran round the corner, into the changing rooms and onto the tennis courts, practicing already.

Shizuo was floundering over which way to go next, when a voice spoke behind her.

"Miss Yukio? Miss Kuzikio and I were just headed to the West Wing, if this happens to be the direction in which you were headed as well?"

She flinched and looked over her shoulder startled to find that someone had been watching her feeble attempts at passage. Recognizing Jin as the speaker she blushed unable to help herself. "Ah. I w-would appreciate that." She looked away trying to control her embarrassment. After a minimum of three seconds her ace returned to it's composed expression and she was no longer blushing. Thank the maker!

"It seems I'm not good at my directional skills as always. So thank you." She smiled before moving aside to let him lead the way. She took a glance at the girl duly noting that her guardian was elsewhere also. The girl's smile was one of happiness if she were safe to assume. Shizuo shifted her gaze over noticing a stately figure in the distance. No one seemed to take too much mind of the figure though. Must be the king. Shizuo thought with dull certainty. Finished taking in the situation she turned back to the minute group.

Shizuo spoke up interested in striking a conversation. Just this time. "So Rin, If I may call you by first name basis, do you train a lot? I know I'm going to be spending most of my time at the grounds." She let a small smile play on her face. Just the promise of handling her sword brought some joy. Not that she wouldn't be spending the rest of her time in academic pursuits. Even if she was a specialist in fighting, her uncle always said to have the knowledge to back up her sword.

Zahra

Zahra could have screamed in joy when he showed her the tack room. Though his mannerisms were strange, showing some kind of embarrassment, Zahra could have jumped for joy, had she the heart to do so. The young woman was going to just find a really big tree and change behind it. She'd done it before with no issue. He was quite the gentleman, showing her a room with a door and everything! As he spoke, Zahra's brows furrowed, trying to hear what he was saying.

"This is perfect." Her face was rather neutral as she said it. Zahra really meant it, though. It was perfect, and as such, she slinked past him, afraid of touching him again, and shut the door gently behind her. She let loose the one damn knot that was hindering her air intake and when it was undone, she took in the greatest breath of air she could. Her nostrils filled with hay, leather, and the sweat of horses. It was fantastic. Something to calm her nerves, along with Sora's company. Even in the strange state he'd been in as she entered the room, he was still this peaceful presence beside her. Stripping the dress off of her body, showing that she still wore the breeches and boots underneath, Zahra held up the linen and wool dress. It was some kind of symbol of what she could have had. Suffocation, control, her real family...

Her hands, calloused from working all her growing years, tore the dress in two. It took some strength at first, but it came easily enough to her. She was a fighter, hunter, and pretty much self-reliant girl; Zahra was rather able-bodied no matter her outward appearance. The frown, carving deep lines in her face, would have portrayed a sad realization that she would actually be alone now. All she had was her dream and her determination, but then again... Did she even have that? As she pulled her top out of the satchel that lay in a pile on the floor, Zahra's amber eyes studied the door that Sora stood on the other side of. He was one of the Princes that she and the other girls were sent to protect. Jin was her ward now. He did not seem in peril, though. Was he job just to follow the bookworm around? Lowering her head, she pulled the straps over her arms and then tied the laces in the front of her bosom. Zahra could finally breathe again. Her stomach was read from the wool scratching relentlessly at her skin.

Retrieving her things, she picked up the two pieces of what was left of her former life and exited the room. Standing in front of Sora, she quietly studied his face, her bangs sitting very still on her flat eyebrows. Her fist was clutching the fabric rather hard, but she didn't really notice. For some strange reason, Zahra felt she didn't have to say anything to him. It was a very, very nice feeling.

Jin led the way down the winding hallways, not saying much since the two females seemed to be talking of training. He recalled that Rin had asked to be shown somewhere to do that, and he thought the same must probably be true of Shizuo, if the words they were exchanging were genuine (certainly he had no reason to believe they were not). At length, they reached the west wing, and he opened two doors in turn, deciding that they probably would not mind rooming next to one another. Besides, at his father's behest, the rooms had been decorated... thematically.

Though there was a profusion of yellow in one and red in the other, both were tastefully-done, with ensuite bathroom facilities and large spaces for relaxation and sleep. "If the two of you would like to deposit your things here, I can take you to the training grounds." He gave a small bow and then waited outside until both had spent whatever time they needed in the spaces before leading them back the way they had come. He paused at a staircase, debating whether to say anything, and then decided it wouldn't hurt.

"Up these stairs are several general rooms, but also the library. If either of you should need anything at some later point, chances are best that I am there. I tend to be the easiest of my brothers to find," his smile was genuine, if a bit self-effacing, but he continued on anyway, selecting a different exit from the one Sora had taken, which led out to the gardens. "The training field are just beyond here actually. These gardens once belonged to Adio's mother, then Sora's, but now they are maintained by gardeners." His own mother had not been well enough to garden, even had she the inclination, but that was not really the sort of thing one shared with guests. None of the other Queens after Sora's mother had thought they could do quite as well, and so the gardens had been turned over to the staff.

"And here we are." The training grounds were state-of-the-art, so to speak, and had the ordinary sorts of targets, straw dummies, and equipment, as well as several more complex pieces that Jin had invented in his spare time, including several aerial targets for shooting that could 'fly' or more accurately move in erratic patterns rather than a straight line. "Some of the equipment may be unfamiliar, but if you need me to explain what anything does, just ask." He chose not to mention why he would know, afraid it would sound arrogant.



She supposed it was true that the bigger intrusion was the one that had been visited upon herself and the other guardians, but she would not necessarily have thought that it would be no inconvenience to them. Still, Adio seemed to be taking it in stride. "I, actually, will enjoy the company of all you ladies. I tend to enjoy the company of the opposite sex frequently." Or not. Lenore's eyebrows ascended her forehead.

"I'm sure you do," she replied cryptically, voice tinged with a heavy dose of sarcasm. As was par for the course with Lenore, she was partially mocking him, but that surprisingly enough wasn't all there was to it. She was neither blind nor stupid, and she knew that between his unique (and obviously rather attractive) looks and his position, he probably could get away with such behavior. She was irritated, though, that he would so callously mention such a thing to someone he barely knew. How would it make those women feel to know that he spoke of private things so openly? That was decidedly cruel. The chose to ignore the fact that she personally was somewhat disheartened to hear it, rationalizing that it would simply make her job harder.

The irritation swiftly vanished though, when she stopped beside him and noticed his face color. Was he... blushing? That seemed highly unlikely, and yet there it was, his face stained almost the same pink as her hair. "Purely innocent company." He forced the smile back onto his face, and continued upstairs. It wasn't the same smile she had seen earlier, and she felt no compulsions to follow suit, amused as she was at the fact that the picture of grace and composure had cracked for but a moment.

"Of course," she demurred crisply, as though she had never thought of anything else. Truthfully, she felt kind of awful for jumping to the conclusion she had, as she had always been taught to give people the benefit of the doubt, and not to assume too much based on first impressions. The fact that these conclusions were logically consistent with the information she had thus far was irrelevant.

...Except they really weren't, were they? Certainly, such a theory as she had initially come to was mostly applicable- the charm, the poise and confidence, the graceful ease of his manner. But that smile, the one that was different, and the slip of the tongue just now. Those things were more consistent with something she was certain she had seen in his face. You are not who you show yourself to be, Adio. Why?

Sora stood impassively by the door as Zahra changed, occasionally nodding to a passing stablehand but otherwise unmoving. When the aqua-haired girl emerged, he glanced in her direction, then abruptly averted his eyes, face coloring slightly. He was... unused to seeing women with bare skin, and she had rather a lot of it. Still, he had no desire to make her feel uncomfortable, so he chose to ignore this and focus on other things instead-much as he could, anyway.

He noted that the dress had been torn, and supposed that accounted for the corresponding noise earlier. With nothing more than a raised eyebrow and a hint of a sly smile, he moved off again, gesturing for her to follow. Beyond the tackroom were a number of stalls, and as they arrived, Sora clicked his tongue, causing all the heads to poke out over the tops of the half-open stall doors. He patted each of several velvet noses as he went by, but it was clear that he was seeking a specific stall in particular.

When he found it, he stepped over to the nearest window and adjusted his hand so Ophelia could climb onto it, then let her take to the skies. Most of the horses were long used to her presence, but not this one. He grabbed a fresh-looking carrot from the bin nearby and handed it to Zahra before approaching the enclosure he'd been headed for the entire time. The horse at the stall door was white as new-fallen snow, and looked a trifle anxious, but calmed under his hands and allowed him to push her back so he could open the door and gesture Zahra inside. The hay had been freshly changed, and in one corner of the large box stall was a foal, no more than a few weeks old, a dark gray save for the bright starburst of white on his forehead.

"The mother is Shasta, and the colt's name is Tybalt," he offered, patting the side of Shasta's face as she observed the new human over his shoulder, her muscular neck and front pressed against his back. She whuffled, but seemed to accept that this was someone he knew, and so made no overtures to protect her offspring. At length, he spoke again. "Do you ride?"

☩Adio☩

The Prince couldn't blame her for assuming he was a childish rake. He would be the first to admit that he did, in fact, enjoy a woman's company. Adio would never, though, stoop so low as to consort physically with them. It was heartless, selfish, and entirely inappropriate for a prince or a young lady to behave that way. He was well aware, though, that not everyone felt this same way. Adio refused to let Lenore think of him as something he wasn't. Looking over at her, he saw she was studying him. With another smile, he stopped, clicked his heels and bowed with his hand at his waist.

"I do hope I am enjoyable to observe." He started. "But I believe you will find your accommodations much more suited to entertain you." With a chuckle, for he knew what lay beyond the doors, Adio pushed them wide open and moved himself to the side, like a graceful butler. "Your room, my knight in shining armor." He winked when he lifted his head, unable to hide his amusement. His father was a man who paid no mind to anything but his affairs. So when he told the servants to decorate accordingly, he had made no decisions on what they were to look like. Adio found the massive amounts of roses (on the walls, the blankets, the pillows, and the carpets) to be almost sickly, and yet this was all somewhat toned down by the beautiful accents of gold and ivory. He could not say it was hideous, but Adio was not a fan of the ever popular flower.

"I can honestly say my father has no taste for decorating." Adio followed behind her, hands clasped at his lower back, examining what she had in her room. Not often did Adio come over to the West Wing, so he was just as curious as she was to see what they'd done for her within the walls of her new home. "Charming... I suppose?" He smiled at Lenore, all teeth and happiness.

A knock at the door had Adio turn about to find his father's steward bowing. "The King requests an audience with His Highness." Adio's smile faded, rather quickly, and he nodded dutifully. Being asked into his father's presence wasn't usually a good thing. Even when he'd been announced as Heir Apparent his father had scoffed at him.

A child of sixteen? You will never be a man, Adio. You have to prepare yourself, night and day, to be King. It is a trait inherent in the body. What do you show me? Books, theories, ridiculous notions, backed by your younger brother, no doubt. Give me proof, Adio, that I should be proud to have name you my heir.

With a sigh, Adio nodded his head to Lenore. "I suppose I could return and show you about the grounds of the palace?" He remember the sword she gripped in her hand. "The practicing area would seem about right?" Then he smiled slightly, hoping maybe he could be clever enough to find out her other interests. "Or would you prefer somewhere else?" The steward cleared his throat, signaling that apparently this meeting was urgent. What meeting wasn't urgent when his father was involved?

"I shall find you, Miss Mirren. Until then, make yourself at home." With another lavish bow, Adio whipped himself from the room, followed briskly by the steward. Many thoughts weighed on the prince's shoulders at they descended toward the King's library. There were so may things the King could want and Adio knew whatever questions he asked would go unanswered. It angered him that he was bestowed with the second highest ranking in the kingdom, and yet he was powerless to do anything.

♒Zahra♒

Zahra began to feel some sense of peace fall around her. Slowly, Fate was resting a warm blanket on her being and Zahra could almost smile and mean it. It was becoming more and more clear that no matter her purposes in this place, a new life was beginning for her. The village had sent her off to find her place in the world and she had not found that place within the hearts of her birth parents. The torn dress clutched in her hands was proof enough of that. Instead, she had been lead to this palace, to the side of this young man and all the others. Perhaps there was a good reason to be here? Then again, it could be just a small obstacle in the way of her greater objective, whatever that may be. Zahra took in a deep breath of air through her nostrils and released it from her lips slowly. Her fingers reached out, following the path of Sora's hands, and felt every soft nose that presented itself. The smile was barely there, but shone mostly in her eyes. How could someone she just met know exactly what would calm her down?

Zahra met Sora's eyes when he handed her the carrot. Curiosity furrowed her brows and she tried to peak over his shoulder, to no avail. He was much taller than her. Unfortunately, a trait Zahra had retrieved from her birth mother. When he opened the door, however, she was given full view of what lay beyond and a small gasp sounded from her lips. The most beautiful, alabaster horse stood closest to the door, snorting and sighing at Sora as he entered and turned back toward Zahra. She followed, shutting the gate and let her wide eyes take in the horses beauty. Just on the ground, not feet away from its mother, lay the tiny foal, all ashen and legs. Holding her hand out flat she presented the carrot to Shasta, letting her hand gently fall on the bridge of her great snout.

When it was gone (which took all but a few blinks of time), Zahra turned her attention to the little one in the corner. As she walked, Sora spoke.

"Only when there is a need. It has been a long time, though." By then, she was kneeling at the baby's head, letting him sniff her fingers and push her hand about in curiosity. Finally, her lips curled up into a soft, mirthful smile. Everything in the stall was calm and gentle and it all made every bit of sense. Zahra was not confused here, not judged here, and certainly her fate wasn't decided by anyone or anything. It was just this moment, with the feel of downy fur gracing the noble head of a new life in the world. "Hello, Tybalt," she whispered, scratching behind his ears.

Rin followed Jin easily, her movements matching his almost completely. She was graceful and tall but her movements didn't seem to be of hubris, just confidence within herself. The turns were easy as she watched the prince closely, while still paying attention to the girl beside her. She also took fleeting glances at their surroundings, the fine paintings and clothes that were displayed on the walls of almost every hall they passed through.

When the other girl spoke to her she listened, her head tilting to the side slightly. She thought over the questions momentarily before replying with a smooth, even tone, "You may, and not so much as train, but practice my hunting skills. It's one of my greatest passions and pretty much the only one I feel comfortable doing around others. To answer your question directly, yes I probably will be spending most of my time there, as long as I am not needed by my protectorate."

When they reached the west wing, she immediately went into the room that held much of the color red, obviously assuming it was hers, which it was. She smiled at the color she had grown to love and placed her small amount of clothing into one of the chests of drawers. She immediately walked back out to stand next to Jin and followed him as they began to walk again. She started to memorize the way they had come, remembering certain paintings and curtains.

Shizuo heard the girl but kept quiet, satisfied with her reply. She returned her attention to the halls looking at the intricate designs. Not that it was of much interest. A home was never a home until you slept in it and even then that vague statement could means the wilds or plain in any place. She gave a soft huff before snapping out of her daze to see that they had arrived upon the rooms. Rin went into the red room so Shizuo resigned to the orange one. Not that it bothered her but rather she would have never expected the color in a castle. Blue, gold, red, and yellow were colors she would have expected, then again orange was pretty close to yellow.

Shizuo set her things down and let her golden gaze sweep over the room. "So this is where I will be for the meantime. Interesting." She murmured half to herself. She headed over to the dresser and began her unpacking session.

Once finished, Shizuo grabbed up her sword which had been wrapped in white gauze. She also made the extra step to take her brace and clasp it upon her back, setting the sword where it belonged in the brace. She stepped out of the room closing the door behind her with a gentle click. She turned her attention to Jin who had spoke of taking them to the training grounds. With that she quickly followed behind Jin as Rin appeared and they set off to the grounds.

Along the way Jin explained to them that the library was nearby and also the story of the gardens caretakers. She listened as she watched the flowers bounce and sway in the breeze. They seemed so free of menial duties. Unable to help herself she paused to reach down and touch one of the flowers. Only daintily touching the petals, letting the fine smooth surface brush by her senses. She genuinely smiled with the pleasure the scent and touch brought her. If only she would be able to see flowers all the time. Perhaps the garden would become a place of rest after she trained. Maybe. She though with a hasty shyness. Shizuo straightened and returned to following behind the others slightly hesitant to leave the beauty of the garden.

Upon arrival at the grounds she was shocked to see that the things thy were expected to train with were state of the art. "Amazing." She stopped further inside and reached forward to test the durability of the dummy who stood so carefully posed. "This is a nice place to train. I think I will enjoy it." She ceased speaking keeping her back to the others hiding her blush. After a moment she turned with a carefully composed expression of stubbornness. "T-Thank you, Jin. I appreciate this sincerely."

Kitsumi found, to her surprise, that she actually enjoyed the tour of the castle as well as Kai's company. She found herself laughing as he led her around, and finally, back to her rooms. "Thank you for the tour." She said quietly. "It was fun." She was a bit disappointed that he was leaving, but found herself excited at the idea of meeting him later. "Alright, a walk sounds nice. I'll see you then...Kai." She assumed that she would be allowed to use his first name, although she flushed at the use of it.

Both seemed pleased with the facilities, and this privately made Jin a very happy man. So much of what he would class as his 'free' time went into developing new mechanisms for the equipment, and he was glad to see that they would all be acquiring even more usefulness with the new influx of people who might use them. Eventually, scientific zeal won out over decorum and he was smiling happily, alight with the desire to explain, to invent, to improve.

If there was one definitive drive in Jin's life, it was this. To improve lives. No discovery was too small, no innovation too insignificant, if it could make even one person's day more bearable or more enjoyable, and he just knew that if the two of them and possibly the others could use his devices, he would have a hundred new ways to improve upon them, which would make training more efficient not just for them, but for the entire army, once he managed to convince his father that such machines should be used by soldiers at large, of course.

But the politics of the matter could be considered later. "If the two of you would not mind doing me a very large favor," he asked quietly, still smiling, "please try as many of the different devices as possible, and tell me if there is anything about them that might be improved upon. This one, for example," he moved over to one of the machines, which appeared for all intents and purposes to be a rectangular box with one open side and a lever on the back, "works like this."

Pulling the lever, the prince released three simple robotic aerial targets, each of which held suspended beneath it a clay tablet with a bullseye painted on it. "The idea is much like ordinary target shooting, only the idea is to ht the clay plate. They are programmed to move erratically, like a real target might. Miss Kuzikio, if you want to try shooting them, they will return to the box once you've hit the target. Throwing knives or arrows work too. That machine over there-" he pointed to a much larger box- "does the same, only for melee practice instead, if you're interested Miss Yukira. I'm sure the both of you can figure the rest of them out."

Jin checked his watch and frowned. "Ah, please forgive me; I am required elsewhere at the moment. If you need anything, I'll be in the library." With a bow, he turned neatly on his heel and departed. The head of his research department was waiting to meet him to discuss something about his water power generator schematics.

On his way back in, he passed once more through the gardens and stopped, regarding the flowers with hesitation for a moment. Tapping his fingers against the side of his leg, a rather nervous habit of his, he decided the meeting could wait for a few more minutes and found the bush he was looking for. Yellow roses. Removing one of his knives, he delicately sliced off a single blossom with considerable stem. Returning to the west wing, he hoped the intrusion, brief as it was, would not be unwelcome.

Searching around the occupied orange room, he studiously avoided anything that had not been there before Shizuo had entered and managed to find himself an empty vase, which he filled with water from the adjoining bath and dipped the stem of the rose into, setting the assemblage on the windowsill. Removing a small notebook and pen from one pocket, he penned a small note and left it propped up against the vase before heading back upstairs to the library.

I apologize for the distinct lack of yellow in the room. Perhaps this will help, if only a little.




"I do hope I am enjoyable to observe." Lenore started, unaware that her sidelong observations had been so obvious. To her credit, she ignored the blush slowly creeping up her neck with near-haughty dignity, though her expression swiftly shifted upon seeing the room. Her nose scrunched in a way that didn't really have any dignity at all, but she wasn't even aware of it.

Pink was probably Lenore's least favorite color, and she could not begrudge Adio his mirth. And oh dear, the roses. Pink ones, all over the place. "I can honestly say my father has no taste for decorating." The young woman could not agree more and simply shook her head, absurdly-long pink strands rippling. She wasn't even honestly sure what to say. The white and gold weren't so bad, maybe...

"Charming... I suppose?" She couldn't help it; she snorted. A distinctly unfeminine sound, but appropriate all the same. It might have been followed by laughter, but she suppressed the urge. It was all too... something. she didn't know what, exactly, but- oh dear gods, he's smiling again. Lenore's face flamed again, and she could only help it would be interpretable as modest embarrassment at the decidedly odd sound. Covering her silly girlishness with her customary bluntness, she attempted a recovery.

"Oh yes. If I liked roses and pink, I do not think there would be anything more charming in the world." At that point, a steward entered, apparently to call Adio away for some kind of meeting. He offered to return though, and she nodded. At his mention of practice grounds, she realized that she never had quite relaxed her grip on her sword. What, was she expecting to be attacked here, now?

Noting the saber at his waist, perhaps it was not such an unsafe caution. "Hmm... maybe. I think that would depend on whether or not there was an interesting opponent to be found there," she quipped, raising a brow. He left, though, and she entered the room, deciding to put her few things away and take a bit of a breather.

Ah, there it is. Sora had been waiting for her to smile, though he knew not why. Still, he'd had the feeling that all she'd need was an opportunity, and felt rather pleased that he'd managed to present her with an adequate one. Unbeknownst to him, his own expression mirrored it. He was not a man of sweeping gestures or obvious moods, so really, discernible facial expression was rare for him as well. He watched for a few moments as Zahra spoke to the foal, but then quietly slipped out of the stall, knowing that Shasta would be nothing but friendly in his absence.

Working quickly, he returned to the tack room, grabbing a light saddle, a blanket, and two bitless bridles from assorted hooks and racks. The first stall he entered contained a dappled-grey mare who was one of the kindest in the entirety of the stable, and he brushed her down with practiced ease, all the tack in place within a matter of moments.

The second horse was black from head to toe, and needed only a bridle. Sora rarely bothered to utilize saddles himself, in truth, and found bits downright horrid, which explained his unique choice in tack. Xerxes was nowhere near as friendly as Shasta or Isis (the grey mare that trailed behind him even now), but he was in need of some exercise. Taking a set of reins in each hand, he approached Shasta's stall again and cleared his throat to catch Zahra's attention.

"The tour is better on horseback," he offered, as though this was enough to explain everything. For him, it was. "This is Isis," he continued, nodding to the horse at his left. He hoped she would be amenable to the suggestion (which he realized probably looked more like an order. Hopefully it would not be taken that way; it was simply a part of his nature to decide things and follow through), but if not, it would be but a few minutes of work to return the horses to where they had been before.

Frankly, he was hoping she'd smile again.

☩Adio☩

Every muscle was tense. His teeth were grinding, his eyes were misting. Not many could cut him down. Adio wouldn't allow it. He chose to be happy, or if not happy, at least content. He made sure his heart was filled, his room filled with sunlight, and his siblings taken care of. What was there to make such a man upset? Adio had to repeat in his mind that it was no different than any other meeting. Was there ever any doubt that it wouldn't simply be an occasion to reprimand and humiliate his eldest son?

"I see no reason why these young women should be pulled from their lives--"

"Shut your mouth. The King speaks." Adio stood, steadfast, proud, every inch the man to take the throne at his father's wish. But the silver eyes Adio had inherited from his father only narrowed. Was it that the King was greedy? No, in fact, he made sure his people were always well taken care of. Money was never an issue for the kingdom, nor its Patriarch. "You never question a decision made by your Sovereign, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Adio's hand was at his heart, bowing a bit.

"I didn't want you here so you could question me, boy." The final word was spit. Adio could almost feel the disgust. His heart twinged at the insult. He forced a smooth nod, waiting for the King to continue.

"Your brothers are irritating." Adio's heart nearly stopped and he held his breath in. How dare he? "I would see them locked up, wild creatures that they are, but that is not an appropriate action for the Ruler of Kandra." Adio lifted his head, eyes narrowed, his face mimicking too closely that of his father's. "Whatever these young girls are needed for, whatever the prophet spoke of," he waved his hand at what he felt was meaningless dribble, "I expect to hear nothing of them, or of your brothers while they are here." Was this it? Had he summoned Adio here so that he could complain to him?

"If I gain wind of so much as a quibble of disagreement because of my sons and these hussies--" Adio heard nothing else. The threat was useless to him now. His blood was boiling in every limb, his fingers twitching to grip at his saber.

Adio pulled at his hair with fingers itching for something. He was such a coward! But what good would Adio be executed? The Heir was to take the throne, to care for the people of Kandra. Adio was to be the man who showed everyone what real kindness was. It was he that would prove his father wrong! He would not be so childish as to lash out with violence, no matter how much he felt like drawing blood.

Insulting his brothers that way. The language he'd chosen for the poor women who'd been thrust from their lives. What right did that ass have to call them any name but courageous? Did it matter that he felt the country's religion was nonsense? They believed in it! He was but a pebble in the great mountain that made a country. Adio could see this, his pathetic excuse for a first born son. If someone so insignificant could realize this, why couldn't the man who called himself King? His brothers were ten times more worthy of this country's loyalty than he.

Throwing himself to stand from the marble bench where he sat, Adio leaned heavily against the balcony stone, letting his head droop over the scenery. The garden was quiet, peaceful. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, smelling the petals and pollen. A thought entered his mind and he felt things start to fall into place. Patience. Serendipity. A brilliant shade of blush. A smile settled easily on his face. This meeting would not be forgotten, but it would not be what lead his climb to kingdom. Adio knew he was headed on a path laid out for him. He knew if he made the right choices, stayed a good man, that all wrongs would be righted in time. If not by outside forces, than most definitely by his hand.

Walking briskly to a set of stairs, Adio made his way into the garden and found himself a pretty(or at least what he thought was pretty) bouquet of flowers. They weren't flowers he knew the name of, but none were roses. The prince hadn't forgotten Lenore's statement about disliking pink, and so he chose some other colors. But as he was making his way back toward her room, he was stopped by a mass of flowers dripping with the exact shade of her hair. Placing a large bloom delicately in the middle of all the yellows, whites, and purples, he smiled proudly at his creation.

Her doors were closed when he came to it. For a moment, just as he was about to knock, he remembered his father's words. He would never let Lenore hear it. Adio would never let anyone, ever, insult her, her peers, or his brothers like that, ever again. He may have had one moment of weakness, standing stunned and angered, before his father, but not again. Knocking briskly on the door, he held the flowers before him, forcing a charming smile onto his face. Fire blazed in his eyes, but it wasn't a fire built off anger. This one was built off a desire to do everything right. He would start with Lenore. Something about her made him want to be as good a man as possible.

♒Zahra♒

She was so enthralled with the baby that she hadn't realized Sora had been gone. Perhaps that had been the point, for when he returned, he was followed by two absolutely gorgeous specimens. Zahra's eyes widened and with another pat to the foal's nose, she exited the stall. The young warrior, if that's what she was here to be, felt strangely out of place standing before such noble looking creatures. It was almost like she wasn't worthy of being here in front of them. So regal, their hair brushed, mane's and tails free of tangles. Zahra knew she looked a mess, her long blue hair wild around her shoulder and waist, not to mention the bangs that kept falling into her eyes. Shasta pushed her nose into Zahra's hair. The young woman let out a noise of surprise and turned around. Two wide, brown eyes stared at her.

"Good girl, Shasta." Rubbing her nose and chin, Zahra let her forehead fall against Shasta's. The horse spoke volumes in a language that she could feel rather than understand. Pulling away, the horse blew out a rush of air and turned back to her child, feeling satisfied with the meeting. Zahra looked back at Sora and then to the riding horses. Lowering her eyes in shyness, she walked over to Isis, the mare Sora presented to her. Going through the proper introductions, leaving a hand on the horse's side, Zahra loosened the saddle strap and pulled it from her back. Her skin rippled as her new rider set it over the top of an empty stall door. Running her hands over the back of Isis, Zahra tossed herself easily onto the blanket covered back of the mare. It was the way she'd been taught, they way she'd grown to ride. You didn't control the horse, you were its teammate. Rider and horse became one in the wind and Zahra wouldn't do anything to destroy the possibility of a good relationship between human and rider.

Her eyes sought for Sora's and when they met, she blushed. Perhaps she should have said something? He had no way of knowing she preferred to ride the same as he. "I hope you don't mind?" She asked, sitting comfortably and confidently atop Isis, who was standing calmly, ready to walk about. Her lips curled up again, unable to hide the blush and the anticipation to taste the air outside.