Verdant Skies

Blood splattered against the wall as the man it'd come from stumbled backward in his death throes, Iris barely had time to give him more than a pitying glance before shouting filled the air and she was forced to make a quick escape. Through the narrow alleyway where she'd done the deed and up onto the nearby rooftop, she easily moved within the darkness of the new moon. Only when she was a few buildings away from where she'd killed one of Gyokuen's remaining allies did her body start to relax, she slowly settled down on the roof and cleaned the short blade that was still stained crimson. Her sensitive ears searched for any sign of someone approaching though with the commotion caused by the dead man being found, she knew there would be time to rest a bit.

There was a slight thrill in her chest, the dragon within Iris deemed this a successful hunt as it pushed back against the guilt that clung to her like a shade. Her lips pursed as realized it had been doing that quite a bit during recent weeks, the nightly outings where she took a life were deemed hunts by the beast within her. While she should be disturbed, she found herself thankful that something was easing the guilt that made it hard to breathe sometimes. But the savage thrill that seemed to radiate off of it with each kill made it difficult to feel too comfortable, she found herself falling into an uneasy truce with her inner beast who had finally found an outlet for itself.

Taking a deep breath as she sheathed her blade, Iris began moving once more though not toward Kouen's palace as she still had another member of Gyokuen's web of allies to snuff out tonight before she could relax. Her lips pulled into a faint grimace as she contemplated it, the pity she'd once felt for the lives that were being ended by her hands had dissolved leaving behind only a numbness to follow the savage thrill and guilt. It scared her that she was falling back into the emotions that had once saved her sanity back when she'd served Lord Habi. Only this time no one was giving her orders, she wondered what would happen when the numbness truly faded.

Her movements were smooth as she moved towards the next target's abode, the shadowy streets below filled with lurking soldiers below her were barely given a glance. There was a mental reminder as she lowered herself down onto a lower-level roof that everything was done for a reason, she wasn't bloodying her hands for the simple pleasure of killing. Each death was done to ensure Gyokuen's goals couldn't be met thus rendering Luna's prophecy null.

Maps and scrolls were scattered about his study as he glanced over them, Koumei ran a heavy hand through his hair as tension raced through his body. Despite searching through every piece of financial data, he couldn't find any sign of someone buying an assassin, and any recent entrants into Kou had all left within a week of arriving. As the deaths of Gyokuen's allies continued and the web seemed to dissolve into the wind, he felt as if they were racing against an invisible clock. As his eyes scanned one of the latest reports, he acknowledged that a pattern was finally emerging though even that wasn't concrete.

There was something off about all this, Koumei felt like everything was too cleanly done even for a skilled assassin. Leaning back against his chair, he released a frustrated sigh while tossing the report from his hand. There was an itch at the back of his mind, a nagging feeling that he was missing something. He needed to unravel this mystery quickly, but every lead seemed to slip through his fingers. The thought of an unknown assassin within the empire troubled him deeply. Rubbing at his temples, he inwardly groaned as the door opened revealing one of his servants. Bowing lightly, she murmured, "M'lord, one of your informants has come with urgent news."

Raising an eyebrow, Koumei waved for her to bring them in. Sitting up as the maid left, he watched as a plain-looking man wearing a soft blue kimono entered. Bowing slightly as the door shut behind him, the man murmured, "M'lord, I apologize for coming without sending a notice, but you asked that we come to you immediately if something is found at one of the scenes."

Striding forward as he pulled a small bag from his pocket, the man held it out to Koumei, "I picked this up near the edge of the most recent crime scene. I believe that the assassin dropped it while fleeing the scene last night."

Taking the bag as his eyes narrowed, Koumei cleared some of the papers off his desk to make room before dumping the contents. With a soft clank, a set of finely crafted wooden animals scattered across the cleared area. Innocuous at first glance, Koumei found his heart sinking as a dragon painted a delicate green slipped free of the bag. Settled among a fox, a small dog, a hare, an otter, and a bear, the dragon felt damning as he remembered a particular conversation with Iris. About the animal forms each one could take if they so wished, he almost wanted to let out a hysteric laugh at how the details began to align too perfectly now.

His mind began to whirl as he recalled that conversation back when they'd still been within the Goulon Empire, Iris telling them of the possible animagus forms of her friends. His fingers ran along the finely crafted dragon, the features almost perfectly matching Iris's dragon form now that he was looking at it more closely. The memory of just what Iris used to do for Lord Habi whispered within his mind. Her former role as an assassin alongside Ginny would be child's play for her to step back into the role if she so wished. And he knew from seeing her fight on both the battlefield and sparring against Kouen just how skilled she was, she could easily have done all this without much trouble.

So why hadn't they realized it? Why had they dismissed her as an option? The realization hit him like a sudden storm, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Because they loved her enough to be blind to it, they hadn't thought she'd do something like this without saying anything. His chest felt like someone had driven their hand into it and was squeezing his heart, he swallowed heavily and looked towards the informant as the man asked, "Is something wrong, M'lord?"

His mind racing as he struggled to find his voice, the possibility of Iris being the assassin seemingly stole his ability to speak for the moment. Every moment since this all began felt like it was about to shatter, he almost wanted to scream in denial while tossing the wooden animals into a nearby fireplace. His fingers clenched around the dragon figurine, he forced himself to remember that Gyokuen had tried to play off other trinkets as being linked to Iris before. Managing to take a deep breath with that thought, he forcibly regained his composure, "Everything is quite alright, you did an excellent job finding these. I'll be sure to add a bonus to your pay,"

Eyes widening, the man began to thank him profusely though Koumei barely heard a word as he waved the informant off. His chest felt heavy, he felt as if the excuse he'd given himself was far too flimsy. How many knew about Iris's ability to transform? Or that her friends could do the same thing? Sinking back against his chair, he forced himself to put the animals back into the bag they'd come from. Swallowing as his throat constricted, he knew the next step was bringing this information to Kouen. But how would his elder brother react? Had Kouen told Iris to do it?

Shaking his head at the thought, Koumei knew that Kouen had been distressed by Iris's distance from them. Even after moving into his room, Iris still kept a slight distance, but according to Kouen, she was brewing potions during this time. But with the information he now potentially had, he knew that was likely a lie. Contemplating what to do next, he jolted as a knock sounded on his door once more. Calling for whoever it was to enter, he found himself actually hoping it wouldn't be Iris this time. Seeing a servant walk in, he felt the tightness in his chest ease though it returned as the man bowed, "M'lord, a messenger has arrived from the main palace. You are to head there immediately for an emergency council meeting with the Emperor. Prince Kouen will be doing the same.

Entering the opulent council chamber feeling a bolt of irritation run through him at having his time with Iris once again interrupted by his father, Kouen's eyes scanned the marble room before settling on Koumei. His brow quirked as irritation was replaced with concern, Koumei's normally composed expression contained lines of tension and his shoulders were far stiffer than normal. Had something happened since they spoke this morning? Moving to sit down beside him, he went to speak when the doors were flung open and Emperor Koutoku strode into the room ensuring an immediate hush fell over the room's occupants.

Standing with everyone else within the room, Kouen bowed as his father moved towards the garishly decorated raised chair at the head of the room. Glancing at Koumei as their father passed, he saw Koumei's eyes flicker towards him for a brief moment. There was a tension within those red-pink orbs, a shadow that hadn't been there that morning. His stomach sank as he realized that something had indeed happened since they'd last seen one another, he promised himself to speak with Koumei once the meeting was over and get to the bottom of what happened. Sitting down as the Emperor waved them all off, he sank into his seat. There was a dark shadow across his father's face, it made him want to tense as any lingering irritation faded from his veins.

Speaking in a commanding tone that resonated within the chamber, Emperor Koutoku addressed them all, "As you are all aware of by now, a string of murders has been committed within our Empire. As the ruler of this empire, I must ensure the murder is brought to justice."

As the discussion unfolded, Kouen couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the situation than met the eye. The nobles around him voiced their concerns, suggestions, and theories, each contributing to the collective effort to address the crisis. His lips wanted to twitch at the almost sheep-like mentality of them, the generals around the table offered far more suitable contributions. His gaze shifted towards Koumei and he found himself frowning, the distant look in Koumei's eyes and tension in his shoulders as the younger man offered nothing to the meeting.

There was a soft bang on the table, the Emperor gifted Koumei with a glowering look as one of the nobles let out a startled, "M'lord-"

"Prince Koumei," Emperor Koutoku's voice cut through the room, "You have remained silent throughout this discussion. Your insights are invaluable, and I expect you to contribute to the council's efforts to resolve this matter,"

For the first time in years, Emperor Koutoku wore a stern expression that was directed at one of his sons rather than a daughter. Kouen jolted at the realization though he focused on Koumei as his younger brother sat up slowly. His body forcibly relaxed out of its tense state, a monotone voice leaving Koumei as he gazed at their father, "My apologies for being so quiet, Father. I was merely attempting to run through all that we know of the assassin's actions thus far," He leaned forward, "My mind has been thoroughly occupied with dissecting the information in hopes of crafting strategies that will allow us to find our culprits," The way he looked at their father was cold, "I assure you, Father, I am fully committed to finding who's behind this."

There was just the slightest inflection in Koumei's voice, the way his shoulders twitched that told Kouen something was wrong with that Emperor Koutoku nodded and allowed the room to return to its former state, he was left to his thoughts. As the meeting dragged on, he found his attention divided as concern for his younger brother lingered in the background of every thought.

Her body still felt warm from Kouen and she loathed that they wouldn't be able to continue until he returned, a sigh left Iris's lips as she slipped into her old room. But with him gone for the moment, she could take the time to clean her gear properly and do some proper maintenance on anything that needed it. She knew for a fact her potions stock was growing rather low, so that was something she'd be working on once she'd finished in here. Dropping onto her knees beside the chest containing her gear, she unlocked it with her magic and began the process of sorting everything out.

The weapons needed maintenance though it wasn't as urgently needed as it could have been. All her clothes needed a wash and certain things needed to be repaired, she began to sort through them with a careful hand while emptying the pockets. Frowning as she came to the last set of clothes, a chill ran down her spine and she glanced at the small pile of things she'd pulled from various pockets. Innocuous little things, a few empty vials, and little things she'd stolen. But something very precious was missing from the pile, it felt like someone had dumped cold snow down her back as she felt her heart skip a beat.

There was no small bag of wooden animals, the carved little trinkets that Neville had made and Iris had painted. Swallowing as she felt dread slip through her, the knowledge that the little animals that had seen her through Lord Habi's treatment were gone. Her fingers clenched around a pair of dirty trousers as anxiety bolted through her, she quickly began to search through every nook and cranny within the room, the urgency to find it driving her on. Her mind raced through the possibilities of where the small bag of wooden animals could be, she felt the sense of dread intensify with each passing moment.

The room, once a haven of familiarity and solace, now felt oppressive as anxiety clawed at the edges of her thoughts. She tried to recall the last time she had seen the bag, retracing her steps mentally to pinpoint when she might have lost it. But the memory proved elusive, slipping through her mind like grains of sand. A sudden realization struck her—could it have been misplaced during her recent nocturnal activities? The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She imagined the bag slipping from her pocket or belt unnoticed in the shadows, lost amidst the darkness of her secretive endeavors. Dropping onto the couch settled by the bed, she swallowed heavily at the implications.

If someone were to find it, especially someone like Kouen or Koumei who knew about her animal form and the forms her friends could take, they might piece together the connection. She attempted to convince herself that they wouldn't draw such conclusions. After all, she'd only mentioned Neville and the other's animal forms once, they'd probably forgotten about the conversation by now. And yet, the nagging doubt persisted, whispering in the recesses of her mind that those who knew her well could unravel the mystery. Running a hand through her hair, she mentally cursed at not being more careful.

And without knowing exactly where the bag could be, Iris couldn't risk summoning it to herself without possibly damaging the contents. She bit her bottom lip and breathed out a soft curse. Her mind tried to drum up alternatives as she stood and moved back to the piles of clothes that needed to be cleaned, she would need to figure out something quickly lest the bag be found.

"What's going on, Mei?" Kouen's voice was soft as they rode in the carriage back to Koumei's palace, "You seemed off during the meeting,"

There was a heavy weight in his chest, Koumei's throat once more felt like it had a lump in it. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, the scenery outside passed by without him paying much mind to it despite his gaze sticking to the window. His fingers clenched around the edge of his kimono, he tried to focus on the rhythmic thumping of the horses' hooves to distract himself. Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a soft voice, "I-One of my informants found something today, En."

Voice filled with concern and intrigue, Kouen spoke as the seat across from Koumei shifted slightly, "What did they find?"

Hesitation filled him, Koumei still didn't wish to believe what his informant had discovered nor the conclusions he'd drawn from it. Voice heavy as he slowly looked towards Kouen, he flexed his fingers, "They found a bag of wooden animals near the scene of one of the recent murders," Kouen's eyebrow rose, "It contains a fox, a dog, a hare, an otter, a bear," He found his voice faltering as Kouen's eyebrow furrowed, "And a dragon. Each one carved and painted,"

Expression shifting as a mixture of emotions crossed through his gaze, Kouen's eyes narrowed as his jaw clenched. Leaning back against his seat, he spoke in a steady voice edged with concern, "Those animals... aren't they the ones Iris mentioned once? About her friends and their animagus forms?"

His heart felt heavy at hearing the words being said out loud, the knowledge that Koumei hadn't misremembered the conversation made him ache. Throat tightening as he nodded, Koumei saw the understanding in Kouen's eyes as flickers of shock and betrayal. The connection between the wooden animals and Iris's revelation about her friends' abilities was undeniable. His chest felt heavy, he murmured, "Yeah...I almost wanted to think I misremembered it, but...yeah."

Brows furrowing deeper, Kouen's fingers clenched into fists. His voice became somewhat terse, the heaviness of it made Koumei's chest feel even heavier, "And you think Iris...?"

Gaze dropping to his hands, Koumei almost wanted to act as if this was some elaborate joke. The look in Kouen's eyes before his gaze had fallen made it feel like someone was piercing his heart with a blade. There was a knot forming in his stomach, the worry and uncertainty making him feel so much worse. Voice thick from all the emotion, he shook his head, "I don't know, En. But the timing, the connection... it's hard to ignore," He dug his fingers into the silky material, "The bag was found near one of the crime scenes, and each animal matches the forms she described. I can't help but think..."

His voice trailed off, he didn't want to finish the thought out loud. His eyes slowly rose to look at Kouen, the elder man's face was stone-cold as he peered at him. Kouen's voice was measured as he spoke, "We will talk with her and find out just what's going on."

Nodding his head, Koumei's stomach tightened knowing that whatever happened next could threaten everything between the three of them.

Moving through the hallways, Iris knocked on the door of Kouen's study with a light smile trying to fight back the slight nervousness that wanted to rise. Hearing him call for her to enter, she opened the door and found a grin forming at the sight of Koumei sitting across from Kouen. As he'd been focusing on dealing with Gyokuen and her dissolving web of allies, she hadn't seen him much lately. Moving towards him, she asked the two, "How did the meeting go?"

Hugging Koumei around the neck, Iris pressed a kiss to his cheek. There was a tension in Koumei's shoulders, she wondered if something had happened in the meeting and felt a pang of anger rush through her. Gyokuen had likely done something again in an attempt to salvage her web of allies. Part of her was pleased that she was forcing the spider into a corner, she loathed that Kouen and Koumei were being forced to deal with the mess. Pushing away those thoughts as Kouen spoke, she noticed the thin smile on his lips, "The meeting went as well as expected. Father has finally decided to address the recent string of murders."

There was something in Kouen's eyes when their gazes met, a flurry of emotions that passed by too quickly for her to fully register. Her stomach shifted with unease, she tightened her grip around Koumei's neck. Voice softening as her head tilted, she commented, "Took him long enough, I suppose the fact most of them weren't noble born meant he didn't care."

Voice composed as he spoke, Kouen steepled his fingers, "With his priorities as they are, Father had other things to do, but with recent events, he is being forced to give it his full attention," She let out a low hum, "He has assigned various members of the council tasks to catch the culprits responsible."

Feeling Koumei shift, Iris glanced at his face and saw a flash of tension lining his expression. Releasing him as concern flitted through her, she slowly walked around Koumei, "Mei? Are you alright?"

There was that flicker of emotions she'd seen in Kouen's eyes, Koumei's lips pulled into a thin grimace as their gazes met briefly before he looked away. As her concern deepened and she went to question him, Kouen spoke, "Iris," She looked back at him, "Koumei was just telling me about a...breakthrough one of his informants had earlier today."

Forcing herself to perk up despite utter confusion racing through her, Iris looked at Koumei with a light smile, "A breakthrough? Mei, that's-"

"My informant found something at one of the crime scenes," Koumei's voice was soft and his gaze refused to meet hers, "It was something small enough that most would have missed it, but with their training, they picked it up," He stood and moved past her towards Kouen's desk, "I was really...I almost didn't want to believe it could be connected to the murders,"

With a deliberate movement, Koumei removed something from one of his pockets and Iris had to force her eyes not to widen as a familiar bag came into sight. Her heart started to beat a heavy thrum within her chest as Koumei emptied the contents onto Kouen's desk, the finely crafted wooden animals scattering. She knew immediately that the dragon was missing and had to bite back the instinctive urge to hiss out that it was gone. Forcing her fingers to stay still despite the urge to rush over to the desk and check over the wooden trinkets that had seen her through hell, she tilted her head as two pairs of eyes slowly turned to look at her.

There was a heavy burden in Koumei's gaze, it made Iris's chest ache as she wondered what could be going through his mind. There was a coldness seeping down her spine as Kouen spoke, the calm tone he used contained none of the gentleness he usually spoke to her with, "Iris," She met his gaze and felt her heart sink at the guarded look in those wine-red eyes of his, "These animals look just like the ones you once mentioned, the possible animal forms your friends could take, correct?"

Her jaw wanted to clench, Iris's chest felt heavy at the bag of trinkets ending up exactly where she hadn't wanted it. The fact they even remembered that little tidbit should have filled her with joy, but none filled her chest. Breathing in through her nose slowly to steady herself, she nodded, "Yes."

Eyes narrowing at her, Kouen leaned forward as Koumei's gaze intensified. Voice becoming slightly firm, Kouen continued to speak, "And these wooden trinkets in the exact shape of your friend's potential animal forms ended up at a crime scene...where a man was murdered."

There was a knot tightening in her stomach, Iris's palms were becoming sweaty as a cold sweat ran down her back. How had things come to this? She'd known the long nights were wearing her thin, but for this to happen? She wanted to curse out loud but held in the urge. Forcing a look of confusion, she shook her head, "I haven't a clue as to how they managed to get there. I mean Ginny did mention losing the bag of trinkets Neville made her and I offered her mine. But for them to end up there seems a bit ironic considering the..."

Trailing off as she saw Koumei's expression falter and he looked away from her with a heavy sigh, Iris glanced towards Kouen. There was a deep sigh from him, he reached from the bag that now lay on his desk. With a deft hand, he curled the edges out revealing the inscription of her name on the inside of the bag. Speaking as he dropped the bag, Kouen looked at her with a mixture of disappointment and disbelief, "Iris, this bag has your name on it."

There was a tightness in her throat as the air seemed to thicken, the room felt far smaller as the realization that Iris couldn't simply explain away the situation set in. Her mind raced in desperate circles for some kind of explanation to defuse the situation without revealing anything, she felt the knot in her stomach sink like a stone at the realization that nothing would work. There was no way to explain how the bag ended up at a crime scene, she didn't even know how it had ended up there in the first place! No matter what explanation she tried to come up with, it all shattered like glass thanks to the damning evidence before her. Breathe slowly catching in her throat, she knew it was time to come clean about her nightly activities.

Fingers clenching as she looked away from Kouen and finally allowed her expression to show the frustration she felt, Iris spoke, "I don't know how it ended up there. I must not have been careful when securing it in my trousers."

There was a heavy silence as her admittance filled the air, Kouen and Koumei's eyes widened with a mixture of emotions. There was a dark sort of amusement to be felt as Iris watched the myriad of emotions flash across their faces, she knew they hadn't expected her to admit it. Kouen's expression of disbelief and disappointment faded into some complex mixture she wasn't quite certain of. There was little warmth in Koumei's expression, she noted the disapproval and shock coursing through his eyes with some amusement. To her distant relief, the two didn't look at her with disgust despite knowing she had killed quite a few people in more ways than one.

Voice measure and cold, Kouen broke the silence as his hands laid on the desk, "Iris," She disliked the coldness in his voice as he said her name, "You're admitting to killing all those people? Why?"

Did she admit the true reason why? Tell them about the prophecy that Luna gave her? No, Iris may love them with every fiber of her being, but she knew what happened when prophecy went further than the person they were shared with. Hands clasping behind herself, she let her head tilt back as she admitted, "Gyokuen was creating a situation that wasn't favorable to anyone. With her pretty little threats and the fact she was trying to use me against you both, I knew something needed to be done. There were things that neither of you could do, you both had duties that couldn't be ignored and with your status, you've got to keep your noses clean. So...I had to take matters into my own hands and start doing the things that would speed up the process of destabilizing her powerbase while giving you two to have more time to deal with her," She saw their expressions twitch, "So I decided to go back to the roots of what I've known since entering this world, I wanted to ensure that the bitch wouldn't be able to go through with any of her pretty little threats."

There was silence following her words, it was a heavy thing that felt almost suffocating. As Kouen and Koumei's gazes bore into hers, she picked out shock, disbelief, and even a little bit of betrayal swirling through their eyes. There was a thickening sense of tension that seemed to swallow them like a fog, the heaviness in her chest refused to abate even as the guilt finally began to ease at her admission. Voice still cold, Kouen spoke as he seemingly processed her words, "So rather than speak to us about your plans, you simply picked back up your former occupation to take out Gyokuen's allies?"

Meeting Kouen's eyes with a steady gaze despite her inner turmoil, Iris nodded likely looking far more calm than she felt. The truth was out and there were consequences to face. Voice resolute, she let her fingers tighten behind her back, "I did what needed to be done to ensure you both were protected. No one much less your wicked bitch of a stepmother can use me as bait. Gyokuen's web of allies needed dismantled, and seeing as I was in a position to do it without dragging either of you into it, I did."

Her eyes met Koumei's as he spoke, a heaviness coated his voice and she ached at the fact she'd caused it, "Iris, we could have found another way. One that would have let us deal with Gyokuen without risking bringing the attention of the entire empire onto you," She inwardly winced though managed to keep a straight face, "Do you realize what's going to happen now? Do you have any idea what Father plans to do with the assassin once they catch them?"

Her stomach sunk further as Kouen's gaze met Iris's once more, a mixture of frustration and concern floating through those wine-red orbs. There was a lump forming in her throat as he spoke in a measured tone that was no longer so cold, "We could have devised a plan together, one that involved the council and addressed the threat without jeopardizing you in this way. Killing Gyokuen's allies without proper authority will have repercussions for all of us, Iris. Our father won't take kindly to the fact that our guest has been engaging in vigilante activities within the empire."

The guilt that had been subsiding came back with the strength of a hammer. Her fingers tightened at the knowledge she'd just made things even harder for Kouen and Koumei, Iris swallowed against the forming lump in her throat. Her voice carried a hint of remorse as she spoke, the heaviness in her voice made it thick as she struggled against the urge to look down at the floor, "I-I'm aware that there are risks, but-" She found herself looking away from them, "I hadn't realized that you two would be affected by my actions and for that I'm truly sorry. But I cannot apologize for my actions, Gyokuen's threats were becoming more immediate with each day and something had to be done before she acted again," She grimaced heavily, "I won't ask for forgiveness as there is little point in it."

"There isn't," Koumei muttered and Iris glanced at him, "Iris, our father won't take this lightly," She watched as he rubbed at his temples with a tired expression, "With the investigation, he's already ordered, it won't be long until the council manages to find something. And Gyokuen will likely attempt to throw you into the line of fire even if she doesn't know you're actually responsible for this," He dropped his hand, "If your involvement is revealed, the consequences will be severe. Public execution is the likely outcome,"

Her stomach churned at the thought, Iris loathed the idea of her death being a spectacle even if she'd been planning on that being the case when it came to killing Lord Habi. Something in Kouen's eyes softened when she looked back at him, she could almost see the faintest shred of warmth curling at the edges of his gaze. Leaning back against his seat, Kouen spoke softly, "Even if we dislike what you've done, we will do our best to cover for you," She jolted at that, "But you need to understand the gravity of the situation, Iris. Should it ever come out that you're the assassin responsible, the consequences will not only affect you, but all three of us," He gestured to the three of them as her stomach felt as if she'd swallowed a heavy stone, "This can't continue, and we'll need to find a way to resolve it without resorting to such extreme measures."

"I...Okay," Iris's voice was soft.

Giving her a small nod, Kouen gestured towards the door, "Leave us, we have a lot of ground to cover if we're going to figure things out, and...it'll be difficult if you're in the room."

There was a heavy weight in her chest at those words, Iris knew what Kouen wasn't saying and she hated it with every fiber of her being. Turning with the barest hint of a nod, she left the room as tears burned at the back of her eyes. With a heavy chest, she started for the room she shared with Kouen though part of her hesitated at that action. She had betrayed their trust and seeing their reactions stung her to the core.

"Fuck," The curse slipped from Kouen's lips louder than he truly wished it though it wasn't the shout that wanted to leave his lungs.

Running a hand through his hair after tugging it out the braids Iris had helped him place it in earlier, Kouen sank back into his seat. His fingers dug into the thick strands of crimson, the heavy mixture of emotions rushing through him felt as if a maelstrom had been lodged in his chest. How had Iris, the woman he loved so deeply, managed to do so much beneath their notice? Like a rabid dog was gnawing at his insides, he could almost piece together how and when now that she'd told them why.

His mind raced through the various conversations, the late nights spent together, and the various moments shared since this all had begun, Kouen found himself inwardly cursing as the signs flickered to life. How could he not have seen it earlier, the sheer fact Iris hadn't pressed harder to join them when dealing with Gyokuen. His jaw clenched with the effort to contain his emotions, the weight of betrayal felt heavy in his heart. Voice laden with frustration, he looked at Koumei as his younger brother sat heavily across from him toying with the small dragon figurine, "I should have noticed something was off. For fucks sake, she couldn't have been brewing so many potions or painting so late."

Releasing a heavy sigh as he looked away from the dragon, Koumei's gaze was heavy with emotion, "It's always easier to see in hindsight, but...we didn't want to," Kouen's breath caught as Koumei's lips twitched into a wry smile, "Why would we have? Iris is the woman we both love and if she were doing something like that..."

His frustration deepened as Koumei's words echoed through the air, the truth sinking in with each one. Blinded by affection for Iris, they had forced themselves not to notice the obvious problems with her excuses. They hadn't allowed themselves to realize she could possibly return to her former occupation and be responsible for Gyokuen's allies dying in waves. With the bond they shared, they'd allowed themselves to become blinded and it stung to realize this fact.

His fingers tightened, Kouen muttered with a heaviness in his voice, "I should have pressed harder," He wished that there was a way to go back to the blindness, "I should have known something was off, but every time there was even a single question in my mind, I'd look into her eyes and just see the woman I love."

There was a deep pain in Koumei's eyes, it was something Kouen knew was echoed within his own. Voice soft as he set down the dragon, Koumei spoke as his back slid back against the chair, "Love can be blinding, En. We didn't want to believe she could be capable of such actions. Not now that Lord Habi is dead and we could protect her, she would never have needed those skills again. But now... we need to figure out how to protect her and ourselves."

As a heavy silence fell over them, Kouen grappled with the emotions surging within his chest. The conflicting emotions of love and betrayal warred as frustration simmered alongside anger. His shoulders felt heavy as the looming consequences seemed to settle over him, the knowledge that they'd have to do things carefully lest everything could blow up in their faces. His voice was miraculously steady, the inner strife rushing through him not touching his voice, "We will need to take precautions. With Father already on the hunt for an assassin, we will need to take control of the narrative and likely lay false trails. Perhaps even point him in the direction of someone else as Gyokuen will likely attempt to throw Iris into the crosshairs, she won't hesitate to use this situation to her advantage,"

"While I dislike using someone, we do have several options," Koumei muttered as his fingers dug into the arm of his chair, "Should it come to that,"

Nodding as his lips twitched into a faint smile, Kouen began to calculate just who they could use as a possible scapegoat, "We should lay false leads among certain nobles. Ones that have no connection to Iris though are still within the city. They also need to clearly feel a sense of dissatisfaction towards the lower class. If we also ensure they dislike one another, we should be good."

"Though we can't get comfortable," Koumei sat up with a calculative look in his eyes, "We need to stay ahead of Gyokuen as she will no doubt already be trying to stir up trouble. If she catches even the faintest whiff of us attempting to divert attention away from Iris, she pounces,"

Gaze hardening as he nodded, Kouen considered their options, "We'll toss information Hakuei's way. Small tidbits that are innocuous enough that seem like they mean nothing, Gyokuen will believe they mean everything."

"And we'll need to speak about everything with Iris," Koumei's gaze was steady on his, "I believe part of the problem lay with us leaving Iris out of our planning. If we let her know what going on-"

"She'll do what we want," Kouen rubbed at his face, "We will keep her appraised of the situation. It is for the best regardless," He felt his stomach twist as he acknowledged what may come about, "After all, we may fail despite all of our work,"

And Iris would be put to death despite any protests they might have, Kouen couldn't even imagine it despite having seen multiple public executions in his lifetime. His body felt cold at even the idea of Iris dying, the phantom image that his mind couldn't even bring to life sent chills down his spine. His throat wanted to close up and his heart skipped a beat, he almost wanted to get up and go check on Iris to ensure she was still breathing. Taking a deep breath as he pushed away the phantom images that threatened to unravel him, he focused as Koumei murmured, "We will ensure that doesn't happen."

Forcing himself to nod, Kouen saw the shaky look in Koumei's eyes and knew his brother had just experienced the same thing as him. They settled in to further discuss their plans with a fierce determination settling into their bones. They would ensure that Iris would not be found out. And once the matter was settled, they'd see about repairing the fractured trust between them.

Her chest felt heavy as she paced the room, Sirius was curled up in his favored spot by the fireplace though his eyes followed her every move. She felt as if the walls were closing in as guilt-laden with tension weighed down on her shoulders like the collar that had once curled around her neck. No matter how she tried to spin it within her mind, she had broken the trust that Kouen and Koumei had held in her. Those looks they'd given her, the way they'd spoken to her had proven that. And she had jeopardized not only herself but the ones she loved most. For the first time in so long, she'd broken one of the core values that had kept her moving forward and it felt like a knife was being stabbed into her heart.

Trying to stop Luna's prophecy from coming true had only made things worse, Iris found herself going to the nearby window and staring into the sunset. Her throat felt tight, Gyokuen hadn't been the one to break them apart. Instead, she had taken matters into her own hands and done it, she'd had the best intentions which only made the situation worse in her eyes. There was a numbness spreading through her, she closed her eyes as tears began to fall and Luna's words rang through her mind.

No matter how she looked at it, Kouen and Koumei's reputations would be in danger the longer Iris stayed in Kou. There was already political strife involved in their lives, she was only making it worse with the decisions she'd made. Placing a hand on the cool glass as her heart felt like pieces of it were being ripped apart, she felt a decision forming in the back of her mind. Reluctance edged it, the knowledge that there was only one way to truly protect them from the storm that she'd created. Her eyes closed against the sunset, the pain in her chest and the mournful rumble of her inner dragon echoed in tandem.

To ensure Kouen and Koumei are safe, Iris would finally obey Luna's prophecy and leave Kou.