Verdant Skies

Much as she'd expected last night, the counter potion had cleared up any lingering symptoms save for her sore throat and tiredness. Taking a bath as soon as she woke up, Iris soaked in the warm water until it began to go cold. Everything from yesterday seeped into her thoughts as she reclined within the water, the calculated risk of inducing her own ailment, the scrutiny of the palace doctor, and the subsequent relief as the counter-potion worked its magic—all pieces of a puzzle that promised answers yet to be unveiled. Slowly pulling herself from the bath with a low sigh, she dried off and got dressed.

Making her way downstairs, Iris found her way into the dining room where Kouen and Koumei were starting to tuck into lunch. Rubbing at the back of her neck, she slowly moved to sit down as Kouen addressed her, "Feeling better?"

Nodding with a slight smile, Iris settled down in the seat across from him, "Much better," She saw the worried look in his eyes at how hoarse her voice still sounded, "My throat's still pretty rough thanks to all the coughing, and I'm pretty tired, but I'll manage."

"That's good to hear," Koumei smiled at her, "We were worried,"

Shaking her head softly, Iris smiled at them, "It's a hazard with certain potions," She turned her head as a teacup was settled onto the table next to her by a maid, "Thank you," The maid nodded as she placed a plate before her before withdrawing, "So, I take it that the plans working?"

"Very well," Kouen inclined his head to her as she took a sip of the tea, "Father as well as everyone at Court believes you are ill and thanks to your little comments, the suspicion that this isn't just a simple illness is starting to circulate," She released a soft sigh as her throat started to ache less, "I've little doubt that the rumors will reach Gyokuen and her inner circle soon enough,"

"Good," Iris sighed heavily as she set her cup down, "But I still have to play at being ill anytime someone other than Kouha or your household comes for a visit?"

"Unfortunately," Koumei confirmed with a frown and she groaned softly.

Sighing heavily as she leaned back against her seat, Iris took a bite of her food. Speaking as he shared a glance with Koumei, Kouen looked at Iris with a small frown, "No one is allowed to visit uninvited, Iris. So you needn't worry about having to put up an act at random unless Kouha decides to press his luck."

"That's a relief, at least," Iris mused, her gaze shifting between Kouen and Koumei. "I can deal with Kouha,"

Snorting softly, Kouen smirked at her for a moment before he released a sigh, "Iris," She tilted her head, "You need to get some rest while Koumei and I handle things, alright."

"I.." Iris frowned at him, "But-"

"Iris," Koumei dragged her attention to him, "Seeing you in that state yesterday, we-" He grimaced and released a deep sigh, "We don't want you pushing yourself like that, Iris. Not if we help it,"

Opening her mouth to argue, Iris faltered at seeing the emotions in his eyes, "Koumei..."

Reaching out, Koumei grasped the hand closest to him in a gentle grip. He spoke softly, "Iris, we care about you. Your well-being is as important to us as this investigation. You've done more than enough, and now it's time for you to recuperate. Trust us to handle the rest."

Eyeing him for a long moment, Iris relented as her emotions twisted and turned within. She gave him a small nod, "Alright, but...you'll keep me updated, right? And let me know if you need me," She gave them both a look, "I don't like leaving things unfinished."

Chuckling softly, Koune nodded to her, "Alright. I think we can do that."

Moving through the palace halls towards his office intending to finish off what was inside if only to finish his duties early for once, Kouen's mind was semi-occupied. Despite his father sending a doctor over every few days, Iris has managed to keep up her guise of being ill and further cemented the fact she has a frail body in the minds of whoever was in court when the man reported to his father. Koumei's team in charge of gathering information had managed to figure out which nobles in Gyokuen's inner circle seemed to have the strongest ties and where they led. While the assassin/assassins were still out of reach for the moment, they had a few leads.

Entering his office, Kouen made his way to the paperwork-laden desk feeling a small bolt of irritation that he tossed away after allowing it to linger for a moment. Sinking into his chair, he reached for a quill only to pause as a knock sounded on the door. Eyebrow twitching, he called out, "Enter!"

Surprised rushed through him as Hakuei walked into his office, the woman smiled thinly as she bowed lightly, "Prince Kouen, do you have a moment?"

"Yes," Kouen eyed his cousin-turned-sister curiously, "How can I help you?"

Stepping deeper into his office, Hakuei let the door fall shut behind her and walked towards his desk, "I've been hearing some...rumors, Kouen," She eyed him with a curious tilt of her lips, "About Iris being ill...having a weak body..."

Mentally smirking at the fact those rumors had reached even Hakuei, Kouen had no doubt they'd started to reach Gyokuen. It meant they were one step closer to misleading Gyokuen and ensuring Iris was safe from the bitch's plans though he knew it would never be that easy. He leaned back against his chair while ensuring his face was kept carefully blank. Replying as he steepled his fingers, he eyed Hakuei, "Yes, Iris has taken ill though she's in capable hands. We are taking...precautions."

Eyes narrowing at him, Hakuei crossed her arms, "Precautions? Does this mean it's serious?"

While part of his loathed to use any of his siblings, Hakuei was close to her mother and Kouen had no doubt Gyokuen would use any means to find out information about Iris from any source. But there was a delicate balance to be had regardless of those facts, Hakuei was intelligent enough to decipher outright lies. Eyeing her as he spoke once more, he shook his head, "It is serious to a point, but only for her, Hakuei," Hakuei narrowed her eyes at him, "Iris's body has a certain frailness to it. While normally she isn't bothered by it, a stressful situation can bring it out."

"I-" Hakuei paused as her eyes widened, "The attack in the market..."

"Indeed," Kouen made a show of grimacing, "And despite our best efforts, Koumei and I haven't been able to hide how stressed we've been about the assassinations," He saw the realization set in, "It all came to a head after Koumei's concubines decided to visit him. While we tried to ease things by shifting her over to my residence, our efforts have been all for naught,"

Expression softening into one of understanding, Hakuei pressed a hand over her mouth, "I...oh dear," She shook her head and gave him a look, "Is there anything I can do to help? While I might not be close to her, she's important to you and Koumei..."

"At the current moment, we just need you to continue assisting as you've been in our investigations," Kouen offered her the kindest look he could muster, "All Iris needs right now is rest,"

Nodding to him, Hakuei released a sigh, "I understand, Kouen. If you'll excuse me, I'll leave you to your work."

Waving her off, Kouen released a relieved sigh once the door to his office closed. The conversation had gone smoothly, but the intricate dance of deception continued.

Settling down across from Kouen in his elder brother's palace, Koumei spoke as he grasped the wineglass sitting before him, "Iris is already resting?"

"Yes," Kouen grimaced slightly as Koumei took a sip of the wine and allowed the bitter flavor to wash across his tongue, "Even if we're trying to ensure her part is lessened, she's..." He paused as if trying to find the words, "Weakening despite trying to reassure me that everything is fine. Father sending that doctor to prod at her is ensuring she isn't able to fully recover before having to take another dose of the potion,"

Setting down his glass with a scowl, Koumei muttered, "Gyokuen must have a hand in this. She's likely trying to see if Iris will break under the constant scrutiny."

Nodding with his features tensing as concern and frustration mingled, Kouen grunted, "It's a delicate balance we're trying to maintain," He leaned back against his seat with a scowl firmly in place, "Hakuei came to see me earlier. With any luck, Gyokuen will believe that Iris is weak...a none threat."

Grimacing at that, Koumei wondered if Hakuei realized just how much her mother manipulated her before shrugging it off. They'd clarify certain things later once this mess was figured out. He spoke softly, "I wish we could find a better way to protect Iris that didn't involve that potion."

"Unfortunately trying to confront Father about sending in a palace physician will only lead to more questions than we wish to deal with right now," Kouen's gaze was fixed on his wine glass, "Unless you have a better idea to deal with it, we have to allow it for the moment,"

Even with his mind spinning to figure out a working solution, Koumei found himself coming up empty. Sighing heavily, he shook his head, "No...I don't have any answers..." Kouen nodded to him, "My team managed to uncover a few things. Small as they might be, I'm certain that we might have uncovered at least one solid lead towards our assassin/assassins."

As Kouen perked up, Koumei smiled briefly before settling in to discuss the reason he'd come to see Kouen tonight. While he wished that Iris were sitting with them, he wouldn't begrudge her the rest she needed.

"A potion?" Iris clarified as she walked with Kouen through the gardens of his place.

Half leaning on him due to how tired she'd become from the seemingly unending cycle of forcing her body to become sick and recover within a matter of hours, Iris had almost rejected the offer to take a walk in the sunlight but disliked worrying him. But as they'd begun their walk, she'd found what little energy she could gather quickly sapped. Despite this fact, she remained aware and had her eyes on him as they walked along the stone path. Nodding with his eyes on the garden around them, Kouen's expression was one of conflicted emotion, "Specifically a truth serum, Koumei's people managed to track down a potential link to Gyokuen's inner circle. From what we've managed to dig up, they're passing information between Gyokuen and her inner circle."

"Which means they might also have information on who the assassin/assassins are," Iris hummed softly as they turned a corner, "Well...much as I hate to admit it, I'm in no state to make one right now. Even the lethal version, I'd likely hurt myself or worse,"

Jaw clenching at her words, Kouen released a sigh, "I see. I had figured as much, but-"

Offering him a light smile, Iris shook her head softly, "I have a few vials stored within my things. Not many of course, the batch I made back in the Goulon empire wasn't big after all," She saw Kouen's eyes widen, "I always keep a small batch of each potion in stock. Especially when they're new to me."

"I...somehow don't feel as surprised as I should be," Kouen chuckled after a moment as they came upon a gazebo and he led her towards a seat, "Just how many potions do you have stored?"

"More than a few though I do need to make more," Iris settled down heavily earning a worried look from Kouen, "I'll be just fine. I need a moment,"

"Iris-" Kouen started.

"Kouen, I'll be fine," Iris promised him with an earnest smile prompting Kouen to sit down next to her, "I'll admit that becoming sick only to recover in a matter of hours just for it to happen all over again a few days later is wearing me out," She looked towards the flowers, "But I've been in worse positions before...I've felt worse than this," She smiled sadly at the thought, "Compared to that, I'm fine,"

Concern darkening his expression, Kouen grasped her hand, "Iris, Koumei, and I aren't fine with it though," She looked at him feeling her chest fill with warmth, "It doesn't sit right with us..."

Shifting about, Iris wrapped her arm around Kouen's neck causing him to trail off. Head lying on his shoulder, she felt him slowly wrap his arm around her shoulder as she murmured, "I know..." She sighed softly, "But that's why I'm so willing to put myself through this," She pulled back as Kouen's breath caught and offered him a wry smile, "Because at least you two aren't using me."

Kouen's eyes widened, "Iris..."

"I..." Iris hesitated for a moment before deciding she might as well reveal this part of her past since she'd already started speaking, "Back in our old world, everyone even my friends at first wanted something from me," She sat back and looked at the flowers again, "Everywhere I went...someone wanted something whether I could see it at first or not," She felt Kouen's grip on her hand tighten at those words, "All because of what my mother did when I was a baby. Granted, they all thought I somehow did it because my headmaster twisted the story around," She heard a soft noise of confusion from Kouen and glanced at him, "Yeah, Dumbledore was fucking weird...I trusted him up until he sent me back to my relative's house at the end of first year. But...he wanted things from me too," She sighed heavily, "I always had to be some bright-eyed kid ready to do whatever was right even if everything in me wanted to do the opposite. I could never get into fights...never cry...never panic...I had to be the little hero..."

"Why?" Kouen's voice was soft and coaxing as his thumb ran across the back of her hand.

"Because I had to be a golden child," Iris's chest ached at the memories flowing through her mind, "The poster child he needed to prove that his ideals...the things he'd been preaching for years were right," She shook her head with a bitter laugh, "Asshole never realized that I'd seen the truth during first year. I'd seen the manipulations and lies. Anytime I even showed a hint of it, he made it seem as if I was being difficult or paranoid."

Kouen's expression darkened, "He sounds like Gyokuen."

"Almost," Iris agreed as Kouen gently tugged her to lean against him again, "Even after coming here, I was used as a pawn by Habi...by his nobles who thought they were so very smart," She grimaced at the thought of those sorry bastards who died bitter deaths, "I almost thought Koumei, you, and Kouha would be the same only to be proved wrong," A soft laugh left her, "Ever since we started working together...you've treated me as an equal. Like I've got an actual voice, it...it makes everything worth it," She shifted to press a kiss to Kouen's cheek, "Because no matter how tired I am...how worn down I've become, it's my choice,"

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, Kouen murmured, "It isn't just about treating you as an equal, Iris," She shifted to peer at him, "You're a partner to us. Your strength, your choices, they matter to us."

Eyes softening at those words as warmth swept away the emotions lingering from her past, Iris smiled as she murmured, "I'm glad I found people like you in this world. It makes all the difference."

Settling against his side once more, Iris laid her head against his shoulder. Kouen spoke as his thumb continued to run gentle circles along the back of her hand, "Thank you for sharing a bit more about your past."

"It's no problem...and you can tell Koumei, if you want," Iris's eyes went half-lidded from the contentment and general fatigue she felt.

"Perhaps though I think he'd rather hear it from you," Kouen replied earning a low huff.

"Alright, we'll just have to figure out a good time for me to tell him," Iris heard approaching footsteps, "Either we have a maid coming or one of your household members, Koumei's at the main palace today, right?"

"He is," Kouen confirmed though didn't make a move to shift her away from him.

Rather than move, Iris stayed in her position and watched as Seishuu entered the gazebo. He bowed lightly, "My king, Lady Iris," She waved to Seishuu, "I have the reports you asked for, M'lord. And a request from Princess Hakuei to visit Lady Iris."

Groaning at that, Iris shot Kouen a pitiful look earning a low chuckle. He spoke softly, "She unfortunately speaks with her mother quite often. If anything, it might ensure that Gyokuen believes that you're indeed sick, Iris."

"Mother fucker," Iris dropped her head against his shoulder, "Can it wait until one of the days that douche of a doctor comes by? I don't want to take two of those potions close together,"

"I'll see if I can arrange it," Kouen assured her, "Shall we head inside?"

Grumbling softly, Iris nodded and they got up with Kouen wrapping an arm around her waist when she stumbled. Rather than remove his arm, he kept it firmly around her waist until after they'd reached her room. As they entered her room with Seishuu waiting outside, Kouen guided her to a comfortable seat. She sighed with relief as she settled into the chair, feeling the fatigue settling in. Hovering beside her, Kouen asked with a look of concern on his face, "Iris, do you need anything? I can have a maid bring you something to eat or-"

"I'm fine, Kouen," Iris assured him while reaching out to grasp his hand, "Go deal with those reports, I'm probably going to take a nap. I'll get you the truth serum when I wake up, alright?"

Eyeing her for a long moment, Kouen finally nodded, "Alright though remember that my staff is at your disposal."

"I know," Iris smiled softly at him.

Leaning over, Kouen pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. As he started to pull away, Iris shifted enough to press a kiss to his lips before pulling away as a surprised look crossed his features. As she released his hand, Kouen murmured, "Iris?"

"Kouen," Iris smiled softly at him as mischief danced within her eyes, "Aren't you supposed to be going to your duties?"

"I-" Kouen shook his head with a chuckle as amusement danced in his eyes, "I'll be back later,"

Waving lightly as he left her room, Iris's cheeks flushed at what she'd just done. Standing after a long moment, Iris headed towards her bed and laid down with a heavy sigh as the fatigue she'd been feeling caught up.

Surrounded by various things she'd been pulling from her chest, Iris didn't bother looking up at her bedroom door open. Only when Kouen spoke from beside her bed did she look up, he wore a look of interest and confusion on his face, "Where did all that come from?"

"This," Iris patted the top of her carved wooden chest which had been enchanted by Luna not long after they arrived in this world, "I've got two chests like this. My weaponry chest," She jerked her thumb towards the chest Hermione enchanted which was sitting beside the wardrobe, "Is over there,"

"I...interesting," Kouen eyed her with faint amusement, "And why are you...going through that chest?"

"Looking for my potions box," Iris met Kouen's eyes as she paused for a moment, "I...admittedly haven't gone through this thing since before we left the Goulon Empire. Even then, I kind of just shoved everything in here or my other chest without really thinking other than ensuring my weapons weren't in this chest and vice versa," She rubbed the back of her neck as a flush covered her cheeks, "Granted, I've already found one misplaced dagger..."

"Misplaced dagger?" Kouen raised an eyebrow at her.

Jerking a thumb towards the dagger in question, Iris admitted, "Stabbed one of my fingers a little bit ago, it's nothing more than a papercut thankfully," She blinked as Kouen grabbed her hand and began turning it over in his, "I'm fine?"

Eyes going to her face, Kouen frowned at her, "You just admitted to accidentally stabbing yourself. You're not fine."

"It's little more than a papercut. And I already took care of it," Iris pulled the hand that had been cut from her chest and held it out towards him, "See?"

Grabbing her hand as he released the other, Kouen's eyebrow twitched at the ribbon tied around her finger, "You used a ribbon? Iris..."

"It works until I find my potions," Iris defended herself, "Kouen, I didn't mean to stab myself. I honestly thought all my weapons save for the ones I keep out were in my other chest," She gently tugged her hand back, "So relax, alright?"

Expression shifting into one of resignation, Kouen nodded with a soft sigh, "I...suppose I can," He eyed the things scattered about her bed with some interest, "You have quite the selection of things. No one of them is clothes..."

"Since I'm not trying to pull out anything clothing-related, they're staying in the chest," Iris explained as she pulled out a jar filled with amber liquid and set it down on the nightstand, "If I wanted clothes, I'd be pulling them out instead,"

"Interesting," Kouen reached over and picked up a small bag that clinked with the movement, "I suppose each item is important to you?"

"To a point...I guess you could call them memories," Iris watched as he upended the bag in his palm revealing two golden metal bands, "Certain things I got after a really bad job, the rest during certain events that happened with my friends..." She saw him eyeing the rings with interest, "Those rings, I got during a festival during our first year here. It was an odd thing that I didn't understand what was going on, but everyone else seemed to be enjoying especially after the village we were in started giving out alcohol to everyone,"

Kouen raised an eyebrow and looked up at her, "You got drunk?"

Shaking her head, Iris smiled weakly, "No, I wasn't interested in drinking at that point. Even if the people seemed nice enough, I wasn't very comfortable. And I was still settling into having my dragon instincts at that point," She turned back to her chest and resumed pulling things out, "Unlike the others, I ended up wandering around and found myself in this small booth. The owner was an old woman who told stories and for most of the night, I sat there listening until Ginny dragged me away when she finally realized I'd 'wandered off'," She snickered at the memory, "Before I was dragged away, the woman shoved that bag into my hands and I pretty much forgot about it until the next morning. By then, the stalls and everything else from the festival were being taken down. I tried finding the woman and couldn't."

"So you have no idea where they came from," Kouen examined the rings curiously.

"No, though I don't mind keeping them around," Iris saw him eye her, "There's a tradition with rings, it's kind of nice to have those around if only to remind me of that tradition,"

Putting the rings away as she resumed looking through the chest, Kouen asked her, "What was the tradition?"

Iris continued sorting through her chest as she explained, "Well, it's not exactly a tradition like a festival or a ceremony. It's more about the significance of the rings themselves. In my old world, people exchange rings as a symbol of commitment and connection. It's often associated with engagements and weddings, marking a special bond between two individuals."

Kouen's eyes held that look he usually got when some interesting piece of her old world's culture popped up, "So, you look at these rings as a symbol of that tradition?"

"Not quite," Iris shook her head softly as she looked back at the chest, "It's more...I like thinking of it as a reminder more than anything," She felt her fingers close around a box and began tugging it from wherever it lodged within her chest, "Basically a way to help remind me of my old world, I might have a good memory right now, but I know that will change one day as much as I might not want to believe it. So...I want to try and find things that hold certain memories,"

"That's understandable," Kouen set the bag down as she tugged a medium-sized box free of the chest, "Is that your potions box?"

"Mhmm," Iris shifted slightly and got up from her bed, "Now I just need to unshrink it and I'll be able to get you your truth serum,"

Letting out a sound of interest as she set down the box and unshrunk it, Kouen joined her as she crouched down beside the box. He spoke as vials of all shapes, sizes, and colors were revealed to him once it was opened, "Impressive collection."

Half-smiling at that, Iris began looking through the vials and noting that she'd have to get rid of a few soon as they weren't the right color anymore, "I'll need to do a few brewing sessions soon. Though it can wait until after I'm feeling better," She clicked her tongue at certain vials that should have been tossed a while ago, "Now...let's see..."

Finally finding the small section of vials halfway through the box, Iris tugged one free and was pleased to note the color was still perfect. Turning towards Kouen, she held it out to him, "Here you are, one vial of truth serum. The one that isn't lethal."

"Thank you," Kouen took it from her and she turned to close up her potions box, "Iris?" She hummed softly while clicking the latch shut and beginning the process of shrinking the box once more, "Earlier, you kissed me,"

Cheeks flushing slightly, Iris picked up her potions box and stood from her crouch, "I did," She returned it to her chest and began the process of doing the same with the rest of her belongings that littered the bed, "Why do you ask?"

Chuckling softly, Kouen stepped up behind Iris close enough that she could feel the heat of him radiating against her back, "No reason in particular, just... wondering. It caught me by surprise, that's all."

Continuing to tidy up her belongings, Iris tried to ignore how close he was now, "Surprises are good occasionally, aren't they?"

Voice a low murmur beside her ear, Kouen's breath tickled the skin that wasn't covered by her hair, "Indeed, they can be," Iris's eyes widened and she faltered in the middle of grabbing a small basket filled with shells as his hands settled on her hips, "Especially from those we care for."

Swallowing as her cheeks darkened, Iris felt a warmth spreading through her. It wasn't the gentle heat that normally came with interacting with Kouen or Koumei. No, it was an electrifying heat that normally came after certain dreams that she tended to avoid thinking of during daylight hours. The heat of Kouen's hands seemed to burn through her clothing and sink into the skin beneath even if that couldn't be further from the truth. Heartbeat speeding up, she slowly turned her head to peer at him as words struggled to form on her suddenly heavy tongue.

Wine-red eyes were dark as they peered at her, Kouen's fingers tightened slightly on her hips as a knock echoed through the door. She saw a small flash of irritation flicker through his eyes though it vanished before she could fully grasp that it was there. He pulled away from her after another knock echoed from the door and called for whoever it was to enter. Bowing as they walked inside, the maid spoke in a soft voice, "M'lord, I apologize for bothering you, but Lord Ezeks is here to see you. He says it's an urgent matter."

"Have him shown to the lower sitting room, I'll be down in a moment," Kouen's voice was cold with the irritation she could see lighting his eye barely seeping into his voice.

"Yes, m'lord," The maid bowed before departing.

As the door closed behind the maid, Kouen stepped back up behind Iris though didn't touch her. Feeling a mixture of gratitude and loss at the action, Iris turned to face him after releasing the basket from her grip. He spoke as their eyes met, "Iris..." He slowly grasped her chin in between two fingers, "I have duties to deal with."

"Yeah..." Iris saw a contemplative look enter his eyes.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask one of the staff," Kouen seemed to push away his thoughts after a long moment, "I am unsure how long this will take, so don't worry about eating dinner with me tonight,"

Kouen released her chin and stepped away after eyeing her for a long moment. Iris felt a small amount of confusion though pushed it back as she watched Kouen head for the door to her room. She called out, "Good luck with that lord, Kouen."

Snorting softly, Kouen shot her a smirk as he pulled the door open, "I think he needs luck more than I do."

Shaking her head with a slight smile as the door closed behind Kouen, Iris turned back to the task at hand. Even now though, she felt that pang of heat from where Kouen had touched her. As she slowly packed away the mess on her bed, the thoughts that always stirred after those heated and messy dreams crept into her mind. Face flushed as mental images slowly flickered into focus. Biting her bottom lip, she muttered a soft curse and tried to force those thoughts away.

Noticing that Kouen seemed to be more irate than normal, Koumei asked for his elder brother to join him on the way back to their palaces. As the carriage rumbled down the road from the main palace, Koumei cleared his throat, "Kouen," Kouen's eyes slid to him from where he'd been gazing out of the window, "You seem to be very...irate today. Did something happen last night?"

"Lord Ezeks decided to bring his woes to my attention last night," Kouen's expression was dark with irritation and annoyance, "Rather than wait until today,"

Koumei raised an eyebrow, "Lord Ezeks? What did he want?"

Kouen sighed finally allowing his frustration to show, "He claims to have urgent matters that couldn't wait. It seems his definition of 'urgent' differs significantly from mine."

That would partially explain Kouen's frustration though he had a feeling that there was something more to this, he tilted his head, "Oh? Did he interrupt something?"

Eyes flashing slightly, Kouen cleared his throat, "Nothing of great importance."

But given the tension still present in Kouen's shoulder and the way his brother didn't seem keen to meet his eyes, Koumei had a feeling that Lord Ezeks had interrupted something that dealt with Iris. Slowly smiling, he leaned back against his seat, "Oh, I see..." Kouen glanced at him, "You were doing something with Iris, weren't you?"

"I-" Kouen paused for a moment before nodding, "Yes-well, I had certain plans in mind if she was willing,"

Chuckling as amusement mixed with jealousy washed over him, Koumei pushed back the jealousy as best he could. After all, he would have time with Iris soon enough. It would just have to wait until after this mess with the assassins wandering about was settled. Offering Kouen a light smile, he reminded his brother, "You know what they say about plans, En."

"True enough," Kouen grunted while eyeing him, "I'm surprised you aren't displeased,"

"I'll admit that part of me is a bit jealous," Koumei saw Kouen's lips quirk, "But in the end, I know that I'll have time with Iris for certain things once this mess with the assassins is settled,"

Kouen nodded in understanding, "Fair enough. It seems patience is a virtue we both need to cultivate."

"Something we seem to be reminded of quite often as of late," Koumei crossed his arms, "Though it is somewhat worrisome that Lord Ezeks came to your palace last night, he is one of Gyokuen's circle. An outer circle member perhaps, it still doesn't bode well,"

"I ensured that he was kept in the lower sitting room and our conversation directed away from Iris if he tried to bring her up," Kouen replied with a slight scowl, "Though I wouldn't be surprised if he mainly came by to see if he could find anything that would get him into the bitch's good graces,"

"No doubt," Koumei filtered the information into the back of his mind for later use, "After all, he did offend her during that party before we left,"

Low hum leaving Kouen, they both got out of the carriage when it stopped at his home and headed inside intending to speak about the lesser lord.