Verdant Skies

Not long before dawn saw the two carriages arriving safely in the army's camp, the household members of each prince came out to greet their chosen as they disembarked from the carriages. As Kouen stepped free of one carriage, the sight of him carrying Iris earned low murmurs from the gathered soldiers that had joined their fellows. Ignoring them as he moved towards Seishuu and his other household members, he asked, "Have the preparations been made for our new allies?"

"Yes, My King," Kokuton Shuu answered with his eyes lingering briefly on the sleeping woman being carried by his king, "These are...?"

"In my arms is Iris Potter, the leader of our new allies," Kouen confirmed as he adjusted Iris carefully, "Underneath her are Genivera and Ronald Weasley," He jerked his head towards the two as they approached, "The brunette is Hermione Granger. Iris has two other companions-"

"Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom," Chuu'un bowed lightly as he stepped forward, "They arrived not even an hour ago. The blonde one said you'd be arriving soon though I'm unsure how,"

There was a laugh from Ginny, Kouen glanced at the ginger-haired woman as she grinned, "Sounds like Luna," She shook her head, "Don't let her wind you up too much."

"But where are they?" Koumei asked with a slight frown.

"Currently within one of the tents we allocated to their use," Chuu'un answered earning a slow nod, "We have a soldier posted outside waiting until one of..." He gestured to Iris' companions, "You can verify who they are,"

"Let's get that done and have Nev check over Ris once we've cleared him," Ron suggested earning an irritated look from Kouen and the younger male had the decency to look sheepish, "Not that the thing you did early didn't seem to help her, we just want to make damn sure she's alright. She...seeing her like that," A pained look crossed Ron's face, "It's not something that can't be erased from our minds and even if you're able to heal someone, we...it's-"

"It's alright," Kouen grunted while moving towards the ginger-haired male.

Handing over Iris, Kouen was given a thankful look though ignored it. As he turned from the younger man, he felt a bolt of displeasure rush through him but quashed it as Koumei asked Chuu'un, "Please take them to the tents, Chuu'un. Then meet us in the main one, we have some work to do before anyone is resting."

"Of course," Chuu'un murmured with a bow.

Moving towards the main tent where all of their belongings were currently being stored until they could be separated, Kouen entered it without sparing a single glance towards the soldiers standing guard outside. He walked towards the tent where a larger version of the map they'd been working with had been set up. Koumei spoke as he reached his side, "Now we can focus on creating a strategy to deal with Lord Habi. I doubt he'll take the fact Iris is out of his hands and we're not in the castle lying down."

"No," Kouen smirked at the thought, "I look forward to seeing what that bastard plans on trying to do. Have you summoned our magicians?"

"They're being woken as we speak. Ginny will also be joining us once she's seen her friends and appraised them of the situation," Koumei settled his hands on the map, "But I doubt freeing Iris will be easy...a collar that can control a dragon even if it's a human able to transform into one..." He shook his head, "It's a puzzle,"

And one that would be solved sooner rather than later, Kouen turned to grab a decanter filled with water and poured them both some.

Mind slowly came to as she shifted on something more comfortable than the last thing she'd fallen unconscious on, Iris's eyes slowly opened as she realized that the constant pain she'd been enduring was gone. Soft morning light streamed in from somewhere off to the side, the ceiling overhead seemed to be made of soft red canvas. As she slowly shifted into a sitting position not quite able to trust her body just yet, she realized that nothing about her surroundings felt...cold. There were sounds of people talking and interacting with one another not far away, she picked out the sounds of horses and metal clashing together amid the scent of fresh campfires.

Hearing a low murmur from beside her, Iris looked to see Kouha sitting halfway out of a chair beside the cot she'd been laid on. Arms laid on her cot, he used them to pillow his head. As she sat up fully at the sight with a smile curling at her lips, she felt something slip down from her shoulders and glanced down. Eyes widening before softening at the sight, she gently pulled the bear fur blanket from her body and set it to the side. It would seem Neville was here and if he had arrived, Luna wasn't far. Shaking those thoughts from her head, she reached out to shake Kouha gently and he soon jolted into full wakefulness, "I'm-Iris!"

"Hey, Kouha," Iris let out a soft laugh when he darted forward to hug her, "Easy, I might have gotten healed up, but that doesn't mean things can't still be tender,"

Releasing her with a sheepish laugh, Kouha rubbed the back of his neck, "I...yeah, I know," He eyed her with concern leaking from every inch, "You slept for a long time. Almost for two days..."

"I was pretty hurt," Iris shifted to sit on the edge of the cot, "So healing was bound to take a lot of energy out of me...not that I had much energy to begin with," She offered him a slight grin only for Kouha to scowl, "But I'm awake now," She flushed as her stomach rumbled, "And hungry..." A frown curled at her lips, "How long has it been since I last ate anyway? Damn, I don't think I've eaten since-"

"How about we get you some food rather than think about that?" Kouha's scowl was firmly in place though he offered a hand.

Nodding as she took his hand, Iris let Kouha help her up. Only wobbling a little as she stood, she followed Kouha out of the tent she'd been sleeping in and out into the camp. Eyes started burning into her on all sides as people took notice, she did her best to ignore the eyes as Kouha pulled her towards another tent that was far larger than the rest. Two soldiers were standing outside, they quickly snapped to attention as Kouha got close to them, "Your Highness!"

"At ease," Kouha pulled her past the two, "Look who's awake!"

"Ris!" Came from multiple areas seconds before she was ripped from Kouha's grip.

Laughing from her throat, Iris smiled as she was pulled into multiple tight hugs by her friends and practically spun about as they all tried to get a good look at her. It eventually came to a stop when Neville pulled her free of the group and she was placed behind him. He snorted at Ginny when she whined, "Nev, you can't do that!"

"We don't need her puking especially when she likely hasn't even eaten yet," Neville glanced back at her, "Have you?"

Shaking her head with a soft snicker, Iris grinned lightly, "Nope. I thought Kouha was bringing me somewhere I could get something to eat, but this is fine," She heard a low chuckle and turned to see Koumei standing not far away with Kouen, "Morning."

"Afternoon actually," Koumei corrected her with a soft smile, "It's wonderful to see that you're in such bright spirits, Iris,"

"Hard not to be when you've been reunited with dear friends and haven't been tortured by a certain asshole since falling unconscious," Iris shrugged before a thought occurred to her and she turned to Ginny, "How did you get the stone away from the jackass?"

Ginny smirked darkly as she admitted, "Well with all the dirt we've been gathering on him, I've been putting together every possible way to get at him. When they were grabbing you, I finally struck since the bastard would be at his most vulnerable," She crossed her arms as amusement and pride curled through her brown eyes, "See the jackass loves his wine though not when it comes to drinking, he likes bathing in the stuff," Iris's nose wrinkled at the reminder while Kouha made a noise of disgust, "Well, I nicked a couple of our combo vials and dumped them into the bath before he even stepped inside. Then did the same to his drink, I made sure it was all taking effect before grabbing the stone. While he could only watch me do it, he couldn't even move or speak."

"Holy fuck," Kouha grinned brightly as he clapped, "You poisoned him?"

"She did a bit more than that," Iris crossed her arms while raising an eyebrow at Ginny, "Which combos? It wasn't just the ones to induce paralysis otherwise you wouldn't be acting so smug,"

"Let's just say the bastard won't have a chance to sire any more children should he somehow manage to get out of this alive," Ginny looked smug as she began cleaning her nails, "I also added some that would start eating away at his skin after awhile...induce vomiting and fever," She ticked them off with her fingers, "And I also added the one that ensured he'd be unable to even speak while this is happening,"

Shaking her head in amusement, Iris snickered as Ron muttered, "And you wonder why people think you're scary."

"And you're forgetting that these are Ris' combo, not mine," Ginny reminded her elder brother.

"Seriously?" Kouha looked at Iris in surprise and awe.

Offering the boy a light smile, Iris told him, "When I get vindictive, I get creative."

"Speaking of creativity," Hermione interjected, looking unamused, "We still have a lot to do even if Ginny has given us more time to do it," Everyone sobered up as the brunette turned to Koumei, "How are the magicians doing?"

Perking up at that, Iris focused on Koumei as he began to speak, "At the current moment, they have begun to search through what information we have regarding magical devices like the stone. With both Iris and the stone here, the work will go far more smoothly, but you'll need to give them time."

Offering Koumei a light smile as noises of discontent came from her friends, Iris told him, "Even if it has to stay on my neck for a little bit long, I've had this collar for three years now...a few days...a week...hell a month will make no difference for me. In the end, I'll be free and that's what matters."

"But-" Hermione started to protest.

"Now," Iris grinned sheepishly as her stomach rumbled and she rubbed the back of her neck, "Can I get some food now? As enlightening as this conversation has been and while I'm sure we've got a lot to discuss, I can't remember the last time I've eaten..."

Waving away Chuu'un despite his household member's concerned look, Koumei continued to make his way deeper through the field of flowers that had sprouted up practically overnight once Iris and her companions had taken up residence in their camp. In the center of the field lay the very object of his search, Iris's eyes were closed and she looked serene as he stepped into the small ring of brilliant purple flowers that curled about her. As he came closer though, Iris's eyes slowly fluttered open and she shifted to peer at him.

Despite the fact she'd looked asleep moments before, Iris's voice lacked any sign that she'd been unconscious, "Koumei, come to admire the flowers as well?"

"No, though I will admit that they're quite beautiful," Koumei slowly settled down beside Iris, "Which one of your friends managed to do this?"

"Nev," Iris's lips twitched into an amused smile as she sat up, "More than likely, he did it to keep a better eye on me,"

"Oh?" Koumei raised an eyebrow while casting a glance around them.

Gesturing to the flowers, Iris reminded him, "Everyone can do magic through some things come easier to us than others. We call those things our specialties...something that we link to the best," She gestured to herself, "I've got my dragon form, but my magic isn't just bound by that. I'm great at something called Transfiguration which is the art of transforming something into something else. With my imagination, I'm pretty great at a couple of other types of magic, but my best is transfiguration. Nev's is magic that deals with plants," She reached out and plucked a flower free only for a new one to appear moments later, "He's learned how to infuse the very earth with his magic...every single bit of plant life is infused with his magic. While it acts slower than some magics, he can use the plants to power his magic or have them act as a spy though don't ask me how it works."

Mind already working out how they could use that to their advantage, Koumei muttered, "We will be discussing these abilities later on. Though I came out here to speak with you about something else, Iris."

Expression soft, Iris nodded as she curled her legs against her chest, "Let me guess you want to know what my plan was going to be if our alliance hadn't gone through?" She looked at him as her head settled on her knees and he nodded, "I figured as much."

Lips pulling into a small frown as he noticed her mood dipping, Koumei felt concerned well up as he nodded, "Yes...I believe it will help me understand and adjust our plans as needed. Even if you no longer intend to use your original plans, they could still help us-"

There was a low laugh from Iris, it was a bitter thing that sounded far too broken for it to have come from the bright woman before him. Koumei looked at Iris as he fell silent far too startled to speak. Shaking her head with a wry smile, Iris's eyes went to the sky as they seemed to lose color, "My 'plan' is of little use to you, Koumei. Unless you wish to have a dead dragon on your hands."

Breath-catching at that, Koumei found himself unable to speak as those words registered. There was a coldness slowly curling within his chest, it felt as if Koumei's heart was unable to beat and his lungs couldn't even begin to pull in air let alone release it. A dead dragon? The mental image of Iris's heavily image form crossed his mind and he felt sick to his stomach at the very thought of it being even worse. The idea of Iris, a woman who had shown who had shown incredible strength and resilience, dying for some plan sickened him. In a voice laced with concern and urgency, Koumei implored, "Iris, you can't be serious. There had to be other ways-"

"None that we hadn't tried...None that wouldn't have taken far too long," Iris's hand rose to the collar curled around her neck and Koumei swallowed heavily as he saw a tear curl down her cheek, "My plan was our last resort, Koumei. One that I would only take should all else fail," She looked up at the sky overhead, "It would have been one final chance to ensure my friends would be free and Lord Habi would never be able to harm another...That no one could get their hands on me again..."

"You planned to sacrifice yourself..." Koumei whispered.

"My last resort," Iris turned to look at him, "During the last few times that the bastard allowed me to transform into my dragon form, I was able to feel the channels my magic took...before the chains set in. Mediation on them let me toy with the strength of them, I figured out just what I'd need to do to brute force this collar off," She dropped her hand as a pained look crossed her face, "If I did it, I'd have all of a few minutes before my body began shutting down from the sheer force of me burning it out..."

Mind going back to what Kouen had said, Koumei found himself asking, "Have you tried to break free before?"

"Last year not long after I figured out that little trick," Iris pulled down the right sleeve of her tunic and Koumei's eyes widened at the sight of her arm which bore heavy scars, "It took Nev and me three months to get my arm back into working order," She rubbed the skin which looked as if a beast had torn it open, "I don't remember everything that happened, but the collar barely managed to force my magic back. I became some half-dragon creature according to Ginny and Luna though by that point my memory was gone. All I can remember is waking up to my arm being unusable in the castle infirmary with them lying to Lord Habi about me having to fight some powerful people that decided come pick a fight with the Empire,"

Listening to her in stunned silence, Koumei felt horror as he heard her describe the experience. The idea of her attempting to break free from the collar, even if successful, was too agonizing to contemplate. Feeling his hand settle on her arm, he was surprised at his boldness but forced it back as Iris's gaze met his own. Clearing his throat, he spoke in a soft tone, "While I cannot even begin to fathom what the pain and suffering you've endured, I am glad we're able to ease it now," He offered her a gentle smile, "You will not need to make any desperate choices..."

"I know," A soft smile curled across Iris's lips and she placed a hand on his, "And I know that everyone else is grateful as well," She looked away from him as her eyes went to the sky once more, "They were worried that I'd go through with it,"

"I'm not surprised," Koumei removed his hand as her hand dropped away, "With how much they care about you,"

There was a soft laugh from Iris, she gave him a lopsided smile, "With the hell we've been through, yeah..."

Despite the fact she'd been healed by Kouen and Neville had cleared her, Iris had been told to take some time and relax. But within an army camp, she had little to do besides wander around as napping got boring after the first day. Itching to do anything, she found herself settling on one of the fences that had been set up outside of the makeshift practice yard where the soldiers were training. Head tilting as she watched the men move about, she jolted slightly as a voice came from behind her not long after the men had finally begun ignoring her presence, "Would you like to participate?"

Turning her head at the question, Iris's eyes widened at the sight of Kouen wearing something other than the dressy kimono she'd come to expect seeing him in. Loose-fitting training grab hung from his body, he stood not far from where she'd perched herself on the fence. Offering him a curious smile, she asked, "Not afraid that I'd hurt myself?"

Lips curling into a faint smile, Kouen's eyes were alight with amusement, "If you're as skilled as I've heard, I believe there is little worry on that end," She smiled at him in return, "I trust that you're able to hold a weapon?"

"Knives are my preferred for obvious reasons though I'm able to use a sword without too much of a problem," Iris shifted to face him fully, "I take it that you want to spar with me?"

"If we are going to be fighting together, I'd like to get an idea of your skills," Kouen inclined his head to her while his smile grew, "Besides it isn't often that one can spar with a dragon,"

Snorting softly at that, Iris shook her head as she jumped down from the fence. Stretching her arms and mentally wincing at how stiff she'd gotten from sitting for so long, she admitted that the idea was appealing. With the stories she'd heard about the man before her, it was bound to be an interesting fight that would be far different from what she usually dealt with. Nodding as she dropped her arms, she agreed with a slight smile, "Alright, it would be nice to kick the dust off and see where I stand. Just don't blame me if you end up regretting it."

Kouen chuckled softly. "I have no doubt it will be a valuable experience. Let's begin."

As he motioned for her to follow him, they wandered past the fences and into the practice yard gathering the attention of nearby soldiers though no one spoke up about their presence. Kouen led her to a less crowded section of the yard that had been created and grabbed a wooden sword from a nearby barrel of weapons. Catching it as he tossed her the weapon, she eyed Kouen while testing the sword's weight in her hands, "Let's start with the basics, I want to see how you are with a weapon before we begin sparring."

"Fair enough," Iris shrugged her shoulders as she backed away from the man, "And rather smart of you,"

Settling into the most basic stance she'd been taught years before, Iris took a deep breath before she began running through the motions. Each strike and movement was fluid with little energy wasted, she practically danced with each swift movement and change of direction making it look effortless. As she came to a stop, she offered Kouen a light smile and bowed only to wince as the wooden sword in her hand cracked. Eyebrow raising at the sound, Kouen held out his hand and she offered the sword to him hilt first.

Examining the blade, Kouen eyed the spider webbing cracks that had formed along the blade, "How did that happen?"

"My magic," Iris let out a sheepish laugh at his look and raised her right hand where the remnants of Fawkes' feather were still buried in the flesh, "Due to certain circumstances, I, unlike my friends, lack a proper focus though that is due to it actively being a part of me," Kouen's eyes went to her hand, "I won't get into the hows and whys as it's a long story," She lowered her hand, "Due to the placement of it and my dragon's nature, my magic tends to interact with whatever I have in my hands even when I'm not trying to actively channel magic into said object. Mostly during combat situations...I've managed to get it to stop in a non-combat situation,"

Nodding in understanding, Kouen put the wooden sword away and grabbed another from the nearby barrel, "An interesting challenge though one you seem to have adapted well to," He handed her the new sword, "It'll be interesting to work around," She smiled as her hands closed around the new sword and her head tilted as he picked up a wooden sword as well, "Let's see how you do against an opponent, I'm curious about your strikes and parries."

"Should be fun," Iris took a calm breath as they settled across from one another.

Resuming her former stance, Iris darted forward as she began to show Kouen just what he asked for. Each strike was swift, she guarded against everything he tossed against her and tested the waters carefully. Blood beginning to sing as they wove around the practice field together, she almost forgot that they were sparring as it felt like they'd begun to dance. Only when the sword in her hand cracked in a rather brutal way did they come to a stop, Kouen let out a low chuckle as they both were breathing a bit heavily, "You're very good, Iris. It would seem your friends were correct."

Letting out a soft laugh, Iris shook her head, "This is just with a wooden sword, you should see what I'm able to do with a properly made one or some knives."

Taking her wooden sword as she held it out to him, Kouen offered, "How about we continue this spar? With actual weapons, I am quite eager to continue assessing your skills."

Perking up at that, Iris nodded in agreement, "I'd love to. This is the most fun I've had in a long while."

Some were rustling around before an attendant appeared with a small selection of weapons, Iris and Kouen both looked them over. Kouen grabbed a sword that looked much like the one she knew held his Djinn while she grabbed a pair of short swords. Weighing them carefully in her hands after unsheathing them, she examined the blades before nodding carefully. Turning to Kouen, she saw him eyeing her with a raised eyebrow. He asked her curiously, "Problem?"

"The blades will do though they're not up to my standards," Iris admitted as her cheeks flushed, "But nothing that I can't-"

"Ah yes, one of your friends mentioned that you've worked in a forge," Kouen settled the sword he'd chosen at his side, "You know how to craft blades?"

Nodding her head, Iris grinned, "Yup, and with my abilities, it's fairly easy to stand the heat," She shook her head, "But we aren't here to talk about my skills in forging, we're here to spar, right?"

"Right," Kouen chuckled as he lifted his sword, "If you're ready,"

As their spar resumed with live weapons, Iris and Kouen's movements became more intense and focused. The sound of their swords clashing filled the practice yard, drawing the attention of more onlookers. Displaying just how skilled she was with the short swords she'd chosen, she moved in a deadly rhythm with her blades and far more swiftly than she had with the wooden sword. Forced to put in far more effort than before, Kouen's movements contained more skill and speed than waves of sparks were thrown about as their swords met. As the sun began to cast long shadows across the ground with its descent, the sparring duo paid no heed to it.

As Iris pulled off a difficult maneuver and managed to lock Kouen's blade between hers, Kouen remarked, "Swift and precise, you're quite skilled despite the limited amount of lime you've spent training."

Grunting as Kouen pushed against her blades, Iris let out a low laugh, "Despite not wanting to admit it, the bastard had us training under some very skilled teachers," She blinked against the sweat pooling around her eyes, "And I've had plenty of opportunities to put my skills into practice."

Force to release Kouen when he kicked out at her legs, Iris had to chuckle as their spar resumed. A war of attrition began with neither giving up what ground they managed to gain. Blood singing a heated chorus with the growing shadows, she relished in actually fighting against someone that had the skill and there not being an axe hanging over her head that ended with them dead. After a particularly intense flurry of strikes, they separated briefly to catch their breath. Wiping at the sweat coating his brow, Kouen spoke with a smile curling at his lips, "This makes me eager to fight alongside you, Iris. You've truly proven your friends right."

Cheeks flushed with exertion, Iris grinned as she shook her head, "Likewise, Kouen. This has been a truly wonderful experience."

Resuming their spar, they clashed with another spray of sparks as their movement speed seemed to increase. Every movement, every breath, it all seemed to become a blur between the two, the watching crowd could only stare as the two became visible for a few fleeting seconds before disappearing again. The sun began dipping below the horizon as lanterns and torches were lit. With one final spray of sparks, Kouen's sword was pressed against Iris' neck while hers was positioned where she'd be able to score a mortal blow.

With a nod of respect, Kouen pulled away from Iris as she did the same thing. Sheathing their blades as cheers rose from the gathered crowd, she bowed lightly to Kouen as he did the same back. Kouen chuckled softly as they both stood, "I am glad that you agreed to spar with me. That was quite impressive."

"Likewise," Iris held out the blades she'd taken and Kouen grasped them, "It was enjoyable. If you're willing to spar with me again, I wouldn't mind,"

"I think that can be arranged though we'll have to get you some proper weapons," Kouen handed off the swords.

"If I know Ginny, she either has my actual weapons or she's sent for new ones if it's too risky to get the ones I made," Iris walked with Kouen as they began to exit the practice area.

"Sent for new ones?" Kouen raised an eyebrow as they passed by a few soldiers, "From where?"

"Ashe," Iris answered earning a noise of understanding, "While I'd prefer to make them myself, I am willing to trust Ashe to bring me something that's to my standards. After all, the man who taught me to forge is with her,"

Shaking his head in amusement, Kouen offered her a light smile, "I look forward to meeting this Ashe. From what I've heard since your friends brought her up, she seems like an interesting girl though I will admit that I'm somewhat surprised she's willing to go against her father."

"That man isn't her father. He merely assisted in her conception as far as anyone is concerned," Iris couldn't quite keep the bitterness from her voice, "The man who Ashe views and treats as her father will be arriving with her group whenever that will be,"

Pausing midstep, Kouen held up a hand, "I did not mean to offend-"

"You didn't," Iris shook her head with a low sigh, "Ashe is a dear friend to myself and suffered underneath that man. Although she might not bear much physical evidence or even a collar, the scars are very much evident if you know where to look," She crossed her arms and looked away from Kouen, "And given my treatment, I...Just give me some time-"

"I apologize nonetheless," Kouen's voice was soft and Iris turned to peer at him in shock, "With your ordeal and the one your friend went through, I should have shown a bit more care in my words,"

"I-it's alright," Iris rubbed the back of her neck and grimaced as she felt the sweat gathered there, "How about we table this discussion? I am in desperate need of a bath and I have no doubt you are as well,"

Lips pulling into a slight smile, Kouen inclined his head, "I think that would be a good idea."

Parting from Kouen with a small wave, Iris retreated to the tent she shared with her female friends. Luna was sitting on the cot that she'd been sleeping on since waking up in the camp which earned a raised eyebrow. The blonde stood as she moved towards the small trunk of clothes that Hermione had put together for her, "You're getting close to the princes, Ris."

Pausing as Luna's dreamy voice echoed through the tent, Iris glanced back at the blonde for a moment before turning back to the task at hand, "What do you mean, Luna?"

Humming softly as Iris shuffled through the clothing, Luna spoke with mischief tanging each word, "I mean spending time with Prince Koumei and Prince Kouha...And sparring with the eldest of the three now?" A glance showed the blonde's silvery eyes glittering, "I've been watching, ya know...watching," A shiver ran down Iris's back at that word and she swallowed a bit, "Getting cozy, aren't you?"

Clearing her throat as she pulled out a clean set of clothes, Iris turned to Luna, "Well, I didn't expect to be sparring with Kouen today," She moved to gather together some bathing supplies, "As for Koumei and Kouha, they both approached me first and we've become friends. It's not unusual, Lulu."

Luna's smile remained enigmatic as ever, "Of course, Iris. But isn't it interesting how just as you were contemplating that one plan, they arrived in your life? Three charming princes came to the Goulon Empire, it's almost like fate-"

"My tanned ass," Iris narrowed her eyes at Luna as a small amount of smoke curled out from between her lips, "Talk another word about that bullshit and I'll make sure you're unable to talk for a week,"

Holding up her hands, Luna offered Iris an uneasy smile, "Easy, easy, Ris. I was only commenting about how random it was."

"Sure you were," Iris rolled her eyes and turned back to the task at hand, "No matter how...random it is, Luna, I am glad that we have new friends to rely on,"

"But...what if they're not just friends?" Luna offered making Iris freeze for a moment.

Breath catching in her throat, Iris looked at the blonde as uncertainty and surprise welled up. She cleared her throat, "Luna, what are you talking about?"

Offering Iris an innocent smile, Luna replied, "Ever since we came together, I've seen the way they've looked at you, Ris. I have no doubt the others have as well though they're likely trying to play it off as little more than a passing phasing," The blonde's gaze was steady, "The looks go deeper than friendship...for the older two at the very least," A flush burned its way across her cheeks at those words, "And with the way you've been drawn to them, how I've seen you looking at them...I don't think they're alone in those feelings."

"Luna-" Iris started to protest, feeling thrown by the accusation Luna was making.

"Think about it, Ris," Luna's voice carried a softer tone to it, "You've allowed them closer than anyone else since we've arrived in this world...Save for Ashe and even then, I can tell there is a difference," She opened her mouth to protest only to pause as the realization that Luna might be right came over her, "Realizing that I'm right,"

"I...I don't know," Iris's fingers gripped the handle of a brush.

"Ris, we've all been through a lot since arriving in this world," Luna's hand was gentle as it settled on Iris's shoulder, "But you of all people have had it worse, I know that we can all agree that you deserve to have an actual chance to find happiness here if we're truly stuck. And if these Princes' are your chance, you should explore what comes next rather than shy away. With how unpredictable life is, a connection found in the oddest of places is usually the strongest,"

A low sigh left her lips, and Iris's head tilted back as she closed her eyes. Even before they'd arrived in this world, she hadn't given much thought to pursuing anyone, and, the less said about after they'd come to this world, the better. The idea of romance had been left for the far recesses of her dreams. But with Luna's words, she found herself considering what could come of such things. Shaking her head, she muttered, "Luna, it's just... I'm not sure I'm ready for something like that. It's so complicated, and we have a lot on our plates right now."

Silvery eyes shining as a light smile curled across her lips, Luna nodded, "I get it, Ris. But that's why you let things happen naturally, you don't rush into things and try to force something to happen. Keep getting to know them as you have been, you just need to let yourself be open to the possibility."

"I..." Iris slowly nodded as a small smile formed, "Alright, I guess that's fine," She resumed grabbing her things, "For now, I'm going to go get cleaned up,"

"I'll join you," Luna turned to grab a small stack of clothes that Iris hadn't noticed before, "After all, a nice bath would do me some good,"