Verdant Skies

Rather than immediately go exploring despite Arashi's dearest wishes, Iris had taken him to the palace training grounds to continue his lessons. While he had pouted and whined at her, Arashi had done his exercises. Her lips were pulled into a semi-amused smile as she blocked one of his slashes, the blade in Arashi's hand slicing harmlessly through the air as she gently shoved him to the side. As Arashi stumbled with a grunt and twisted around to face her again, she glanced to the side and noticed Kouen walking up to the small circular area she'd chosen for their practice.

Giving Kouen a quick smirk before focusing as Arashi lunged at her, Iris deftly parried his attack. She tapped on his back where he'd begun to tense up, "Hatchling, you're too tense. Remember, you the dagger is all about fluid movement and keeping yourself loose. Balance while important isn't as needed," She flicked out her leg as Arashi came back at her and tripped him up, "And you lost focus on your footwork again."

Bending down, Iris helped Arashi up as he scowled, "I keep eating dirt."

"You keep focusing on the wrong things," Iris gently corrected him, "Footwork is important for all weaponry," She dusted him off, "It's especially important for daggers,"

"Because we need to move faster than with swords," Arashi grumbled as he frowned at her, "But what about magic? Can't I just cast a spell-"

"Sure, but what happens when casting?" Iris raised an eyebrow at Arashi, "In the time it takes you to cast a spell that could work, someone could have stabbed you. If you're far enough away from them, you might have a better chance of casting it before they reach you, but you still have to worry about archers aiming right at you," She saw him scowl again, "If you do manage to shoot off the spell, you have to worry about someone using a shield or a Magician managing to properly protect them," Arashi's scowl deepened, "You also need to worry about aiming the spell and what spell to cast. If none of that is a problem, you have to worry about someone else taking a dagger to you,"

Glaring at her, Arashi stamped his foot, "That's-I-It's not fair."

"Have I ever said life was fair, Dragonling?" Iris ruffled Arashi's hair, "The quicker you truly understand that the better off you'll be whenever something finally decides to take a turn in your life even if I wish it wouldn't happen," She smiled at him, "Besides, you'll thank me when you're older and have to defend yourself. Imagine if you were completely unprepared and someone managed to sneak up on you, you wouldn't have a single chance to cast any spell from your growing repertoire before they strike,"

Scowl slowly disappearing, Arashi muttered, "I still don't like it."

"I know you don't," Iris pulled her hand away, "But the key is to be versatile. Learn to use everything at your disposal even if one skill, in particular, catches your eye, it'll save you a lot of pain," She conjured up a set of dummies for Arashi to practice his movements on, "Here why don't you practice on those, I think you could use a different target,"

As Arashi nodded and turned to the mostly straw dummies, Iris moved towards the fence where Kouen was still standing. She took a seat on the railing as he commented, "He's quite skilled even for how young he is."

"He is," Iris agreed as she looked back at Arashi with a light smile, "The 'problems' are small things that will ease as he grows," She glanced at Kouen, "Came out to train this morning?"

"I intended to until one of the servants mentioned you two had come out here," Kouen leaned against the fence with a slight smile, "I thought you would be exploring,"

"Certain lessons have to come first," Iris let her fingers dig into the wooden railing, "Arashi would have preferred to just explore, but we have a certain routine that I'd rather we stick to for the moment,"

Expression thoughtful as his gaze lingered on Arashi, Kouen let out a low chuckle, "While I'm certain Kouha would disagree, it is good to have a set schedule when you're young," Iris smiled at Kouen, "Would you like to spar at some point?"

"Maybe tomorrow or the day after," Iris gave him a sheepish smile as she admitted, "I am still feeling the fight to some degree. While teaching Arashi is one thing, a spar with you is something that might be a bit too much for now," She saw the concern in his eyes, "I'm fine, Kouen. Between the fight and the stress of getting here, I really just need a couple of days of not physically fighting anything,"

Gaze filled with concern lingering on her for a long moment, Kouen finally nodded as he murmured, "Given what Koumei told me, I can't say I'm surprised," She let out a soft laugh and nodded while looking at Arashi, "I'm glad that you're here sooner rather than later, Iris. And I am not saying that just because we finally got to meet Arashi."

"To be perfectly honest, I might've come sooner had certain things not happened in Reim," Iris admitted as she let out a low laugh, "But I'm glad we are finally here, Kouen," She looked at him and saw the confusion in his eyes, "I'll explain things when we finally have our talk, but...Arashi and I have been looking forward to this for a long time,"

Expression softening as his hand curled around hers, Kouen spoke softly as their eyes both settled on Arashi, "I am looking forward to that talk more and more."

Smile forming as she felt his hand on hers, Iris shifted to curl her fingers around his before settling their joined hands back on the railing.

"Iris and Arashi are out exploring the city," Koumei glanced at Kouen as he sat down across from him.

"I thought they'd left earlier," Koumei commented as he set down his quill, "Though I'll admit to not paying that much attention, I'm trying to get as much work done as possible to ensure I can actually spend time with them,"

His lips pursed as he considered the piles of paperwork lining his desk, Koumei knew it would be a lot even with the help of his advisors and Meihou. Glancing at Kouen, he inclined his head as Kouen chuckled, "I am very thankful for my household," He rolled his eyes at his elder brother, "Seishuu went with them."

"Which doesn't surprise me," Koumei chuckled softly as he leaned back, "Seishuu was always close with Iris back then," He had originally thought the man had some feelings for Iris only to realize Seishuu only thought of her as a friend, "He seems to be quite taken with Arashi,"

"All of my household is save for Kin," Kouen smirked as Koumei grinned at the reminder of how Arashi had innocently insulted Kin during dinner multiple times without realizing it, "I almost want to ask Iris if she taught Arashi those insults, but that wouldn't explain his initial reaction to Kin,"

Shaking his head in amusement, Koumei picked up his quill again, "No, it wouldn't," He grabbed the next sheet of paperwork and glanced over it, "How was Iris this morning?"

Given their talk last night and how tired he could tell she'd been, Koumei had been quite worried over her. He had honestly thought Iris would insist on staying in the palace today and have someone show Arashi around. As Kouen leaned back with a thoughtful expression on his face, he focused on his elder brother, "While she masked it fairly well, I could tell she was tired. I think the main reason they went out into the city was due to Arashi insisting on it. I think she's too used to ensuring he's happy to really focus on listening to her body's needs nowadays."

"Which is somewhat frustrating," Koumei pinched the bridge of his nose, "We'll have to advise Seishuu and the others to keep a close eye on the two. If anything, we can make a 'suggestion' that Arashi accompany them through the city with Sirius,"

Nodding in agreement, Kouen sighed, "With his boundless energy, I've little doubt that Arashi might overexert Iris without either of them realizing it," He paused for a moment before offering, "Even if her body still rejects outside magics, we could arrange a healer to visit Iris when she isn't around Arashi. Just to ensure she's recovering well from the battle and not pushing herself too hard."

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Koumei marked a few notes into the paperwork before him before setting it aside as he considered Kouen's suggestion. He admitted, "That might be a good idea, we shouldn't keep it from her though," Kouen frowned at him, "Bad communication got us into this mess, En. I'd rather not chance anything even if it means Iris says no to having a healer check up on her."

There was a mulish expression on his face for all of a few moments before it crumbled away, Kouen muttered something under his breath before nodding. He told Koumei, "Alright, we will talk with Iris though not when Arashi is with her. We don't need him overreacting."

Nodding in agreement, Koumei had garnered the same understanding as Kouen that Arashi tended to have large reactions when his mother was involved. It was understandable given the fact she was the only parent he'd ever known and the boy was just now getting to know his fathers. Taking a deep breath and shaking himself, he changed the subject to what they needed to achieve today.

As she finally put Arashi to bed, Iris let herself acknowledge the aches going through her entire body. She closed the door behind herself and began heading to her room only to pause as Koumei called out to her, "Iris."

Part of her simply wanted to act as if she hadn't heard him, Iris just wanted to give into her body's wish to just collapse into her waiting bed. But she turned and offered Koumei a tired smile, she spoke softly, "Hey, Mei. Need something? I was just heading to my room."

There was that gentle expression on his face, Iris almost wanted to melt into the door behind her. As Koumei spoke with concern lacing his voice, he stepped closer to her, "Can we talk for a moment, Iris?"

As her eyes met his, Iris found herself nodding before the answer fully formed in her mind, "Of course, Mei. What's on your mind?"

Gesturing for her to walk with him, Koumei led Iris away from Arashi's door and they walked to hers. Entering her room, she glanced at him curiously. He spoke once the door had closed behind them, "Kouen and I were talking earlier," She felt a small bolt of confusion and concern seep into her at those words, "The medium battle took a very large toll on you. Larger than anything we've seen you deal with, Iris," He set a gentle hand on her shoulder, "We can tell that you're trying to put on a brave face. Whether it's for Arashi or us, it isn't quite working. Not when we've seen..."

Wincing as he trailed off, Iris knew he was referring to when she'd taken those potions to get sick. Sighing softly, she admitted, "I am really tired, Mei. It's worse than...that time," She rubbed her arm, "But I've been through a lot worse and bounced back."

Letting out a sigh, Koumei squeezed her shoulder, "We are well aware of your resilience, Iris. It doesn't mean you have to carry everything on your shoulders," He gave her a soft smile, "Lean on us, we can take some of the burden from your shoulders and give you some time to properly rest."

"I..." Iris looked away from him.

"You aren't dealing with just physical exhaustion, are you?" Koumei's voice was coaxing.

Her lips pulled into a bitter smile, Iris shook her head, "I really hate how well you can still read me, Mei," She sighed heavily, "A lot is going through me right now, I don't fully have all the words. I'm grieving for a friend who died even if we only just recently admitted that we were actually friends," She hated the fact Lady Scheherazade was dead, "But then there's the culmination of everything I've been through over the years, I just..." She swallowed harshly, "Being here with you all, the weight of it all just creeps in on me. It's exhausting even if I've been around you guys...I...I know the past can't change. Which only makes it feel worse."

Her chest heaved as she finished speaking for the moment, Iris drew in a deep breath as she was guided to the bed. Taking a seat, she sank into Koumei's side as he settled down next to her. Her body was trembling and she couldn't stop it, she hated how vulnerable these conversations with Koumei were making her feel even if they were needed.

Speaking softly as his arm wrapped around her, Koumei's fingers drew a gentle pattern along her side, "You don't have to bear everything alone, Iris. We're here for you, Both Kouen and I."

Her throat was tight as she tried to keep her emotions in check, Iris hated the vulnerability of opening up about her struggles. She yearned for the relief that always came with sharing the weight. And it would be like eating her own words if she didn't, she laid her head on Koumei's shoulder as tears started to fall, "It's just...hard, Mei. All these years away from you two, I've just pushed everything down. Anything that I couldn't actually handle was pushed down so I could pretend that I was able to do it," She sniffed, "And here you are asking me to just break away from that...I...it's hard."

"We aren't asking you to change overnight," Koumei's fingers continued their soothing pattern, "Just bit by bit as you lean on us, you don't have to carry everything alone anymore,"

Breathing became a bit easier as she nodded against his shoulder, Iris shifted to press a kiss to his cheek. Whispering against the warm skin as his arm tightened around her, she whispered, "I missed you both so goddamn much."

His head turned toward her, Koumei kissed her softly in return. His forehead pressed against hers, he spoke in a tender voice, "We missed you too, Iris. We're here now and you're not alone. You won't be again."

Striding through the opulent halls of Balbadd's palace, Kouen struggled with the urge to simply toss both nobles flanking him out on their asses. Their incessant chatter about politics and affairs of the court did little to hide the pathetic attempts to lick his boots, he felt his jaw clench as their voices only seemed to become increasingly grating as they entered one of the more spacious areas. His eyes caught sight of a familiar figure heading toward the palace gardens, a very welcome distraction from the fools.

Politely excusing himself from the nobles, Kouen made up an excuse about some urgent matters requiring his immediate attention before separating from the pair. Flicking his wrist, he gestured for the guards to escort the two away while ignoring the confused expressions being tossed his way. Quickening his pace, a small smile formed as he approached the garden's entrance and slipped past it.

Behind the intricately designed gate, the grandeur of the palace gardens unfolded as he stepped onto the nearly kept path. The vibrant colors of various flowers met his eyes as the soothing sounds of trickling water caught his ears. Delicate fragrances curled through the air, the scent of various flowers was thick as he stepped deeper into the manicured gardens which had been made to look like a small jungle. His shoulders slowly relaxed, he might not be the biggest fan of gardens in general, but he'd grown to appreciate them after his time with Iris.

Stepping along the pathway, Kouen scanned the area until he caught sight of Iris walking with a lost expression on her face. Her gaze was fixed on a distant point, the emerald-green of her eyes was dull in a way that made his chest ache. Stepping up beside her, he spoke softly in hopes of not startling her, "Iris."

As Iris jumped, Kouen knew he hadn't succeeded, but seeing the life flare back to life in her eyes was something he loved. Hand going to her chest, she turned to him with wide searching eyes. Her lips parted and closed before she shook her head with a slow smile, she murmured, "Kouen."

Returning her smile even as concern filled him, Kouen spoke gently, "I didn't mean to startle you. Deep thoughts?"

Her gaze shifted away from him as she nodded, Iris shoved her hands into the pockets of her trousers as she admitted, "Yeah...I guess," She clicked her tongue and looked around them, "Arashi went out with Seishuu, Sirius, and Scarlet. And I suddenly don't know what to do with myself anymore,"

Eyes on her face, Kouen spoke warmly even as he felt a pang in his chest, "You've kept yourself busy...constantly moving ever since leaving Kou," Iris bit her bottom lip and nodded, "It's not really surprising that you're a bit lost."

As Iris let out a chuckle, the sound was a mixture of exhaustion and amusement. She smiled weakly while looking at him with tired eyes, "Lost is a very good way to describe what I'm feeling," She clicked her tongue, "It's quiet too."

"Quiet?" Kouen remembered how sensitive her senses were and even he could hear the palace staff moving about.

Letting out a hum, Iris started to walk and Kouen joined her as she explained, "In Reim, the city was always...loud. The magicians, soldiers, Fanalis Corps, or Colosseum were always doing something. Here though? The city has moments of quiet even if it doesn't last long," She pulled out a hand from her pocket and rubbed the back of her neck, "It feels odd to be in a city that has moments of quiet."

"I bet," Kouen chuckled as he caught Iris's hand when it began to fall to her side, "But the quiet can be a respite. I remember you looked for those moments back in Kou," Iris's lips pulled into a light smile as she glanced at him and her fingers began to thread through his, "I have a bit of time before I need to get back to my paperwork and deal with any meetings. Would you like to have tea with me?"

Smile growing as her fingers tightened around his, Iris nodded, "I'd like that, but only if the tea is prepared properly. I will not drink any of that over steep bullshit."

"But of course," Kouen had developed a taste for Iris's particular way of drinking tea and ensured his staff continued to brew it 'correctly' since she'd left.

"Then I'd love to," Iris's smile sent warmth through his chest as he began leading her out of the garden.

Entering the sitting room, Iris was greeted by the sight of Kouen and Koumei already seated on a pair of plush armchairs, the soft glow of the room's torches illuminating their features. Both turned towards her as the door opened, their expressions a mix of anticipation and concern. The servant guiding her bowed lightly before making a quick exit, closing the door behind himself. Offering a small, weary smile to the pair, she moved gracefully to sit down on the loveseat that was unoccupied.

Her body sank into the luxurious material, and a low, relieved sigh escaped Iris's lips as the slight ache within her body eased once she'd settled. Kouen extended a wine glass toward her, and she took it graciously, noting the delicate aroma of the red wine. Koumei, leaning forward in his chair, asked with a gentle curiosity, "Was Arashi too excited to fall asleep? You took a bit longer than expected."

A soft laugh escaped Iris as she shook her head, "Excited doesn't truly cover it. I think he really enjoyed wandering the city without me for once." She took a sip of wine, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Though I am curious about some of the things he encountered with Seishuu out there."

"Perhaps when there is some time, we can go out into the city together," Koumei suggested, earning a light smile from Iris.

"I'd like that," Iris leaned back into the loveseat, her gaze wandering around the room. "As much as I'd love to stay on light topics and plan that day out, we should probably get on to the conversation that's been waiting to happen since I arrived."

As Iris raised her eyes, she noticed Kouen and Koumei exchanging glances. Kouen set down his wine glass with a serious expression, his eyes intense. Koumei mirrored the gravity as he did the same, leaning forward. His voice was a bit stern yet carried the gentleness that made her feel at ease, "Before we do get into the more serious discussion, Iris, we've already figured out that there will be things that you won't want to talk about immediately. It's fine because we know you'll tell us at some point. We aren't here to pry or force you into revealing anything. But all of us are here to understand what's changed between us since parting all those years ago."

"Open communication," Iris murmured, the words carrying a weight of both nostalgia and a bittersweet acknowledgment.

Chuckling softly as he smiled at her, Kouen nodded, "Open communication."

Taking another sip of wine, Iris nodded and set the glass down. She took a deep breath, and her hands played with the edge of her tunic, her eyes reflecting a mixture of emotions. Iris admitted, "After I left with Sirius, I didn't exactly know where to travel. All I knew was that Luna had told me to find them, and I'd planned on that. I just didn't quite know where to look."

"In the letter..." Koumei murmured with a furrowed brow.

"When I wrote that, I didn't want to worry you, so I acted as if I knew exactly where to look," Iris rubbed her right arm, her gaze momentarily distant. "I had some idea of where to look, though not much of one. It wasn't until a year into my travels that I actually figured it out."

"Reim," Kouen reached out to grab his wine glass.

"Reim," Iris nodded slowly, her eyes meeting theirs. "It took me two years to reach it. About six months after leaving, I was becoming convinced that it would be better to just come back to Kou. That just maybe things could turn out alright. I was coming to a decision during a small stay inside a village. Only it turned a bit longer because I collapsed while trying to do something."

Two pairs of sharp intakes of breath filled the room as the weight of Iris's revelation settled on them. Iris continued, "I'd been feeling so off during the days beforehand I hadn't really paid much mind to myself until right then."

"You collapsed?" Kouen's voice was a hushed whisper.

"Between the stress of what happened and the fact I was pushing us to travel so hard, I collapsed," Iris reached out to grab her glass of wine, her fingers tracing its rim. "When I woke up, the village healer scolded me for not being more careful while in my condition. It took her a while to realize that I really didn't understand what she was getting at, and then she explained it."

The atmosphere in the room shifted, and Iris could feel the intensity of their concern. She continued, "I found out about Arashi and spent almost a week freaking out about it. I kept going back and forth on my decision to return even more. But then the memories of what happened with Gyokuen kept playing in my mind. I knew that if I returned, Arashi would likely be hurt, no matter what you two would think of it. So, I made the decision to keep moving forward even if it killed me inside."

Exchanging glances again, Kouen and Koumei's expressions were a mix of surprise, concern, and realization. Iris watched as Kouen's fingers tightened around his wine glass until his knuckles were white. Koumei leaned back against his chair with a thoughtful expression, though she could see the tension in his jaw. Her eyes went to Kouen as he spoke in a low voice, the intensity of his gaze almost too much, "You could have come back rather than dealt with that alone."

"I wasn't alone," Iris protested softly, her eyes searching theirs. "Sirius was with me."

"Still," Koumei shook his head, "You collapsed from stress and exhaustion. You should have come back."

"And risk Gyokuen trying to kill Arashi before he was even born?" Iris shook her head, her voice a mixture of sorrow and determination. "I love you two, but I wasn't about to let that happen. I wasn't about to gamble his life. Granted, I technically gambled my own when he was born..." She winced at the looks they gave her, "It wasn't intentional."

"Explain," Kouen's voice was deadly soft.

Taking a deep breath and a larger drink from her wine glass, Iris explained while trying to ignore the pangs of regret that rose, "Sirius and I had found ourselves in what could only be called a backwater village within the mountains by the time it became too dangerous for me to risk traveling. I had begun suffering from fainting spells, and my pregnancy was making it hard enough to move as it were. While I trusted Siri to protect me, we didn't want to risk it, especially with winter closing in and how bad bandit attacks were becoming. So, after making a bargain with the villagers to ensure our safety, we settled there until it was safe to travel again."

She grimaced at the memory, "I am going to preface this with the fact that my memory of that night isn't the best. I was in some of the worst pain of my life."

She curled her legs beneath her and took a deep breath, "I went into labor as one of the most severe storms that the village had ever seen hit. Everything was a blur after I finally gave birth. Arashi was handed off to a midwife, and my memories from that night are pretty much shot-"

Hearing a wine glass shatter on the floor, Iris was grateful for the interruption. Kouen's eyes were wide, and his fingers had gone slack. Koumei reached out a steadying hand to his elder brother. Voice hoarse with disbelief and anguish, Kouen stared at her, "Iris..."

Offering him a shaky smile, Iris spoke softly, "I'm alive, but it was a close call from what the healer told me. The complications of my pregnancy, the traveling, and the stress were nearly too much on Arashi and me."

She set down her wine glass, "We stayed long enough for me to recover and Arashi to grow strong enough for us to travel."

Kouen made a soft sound as he sank back against his chair. Koumei reached out a steadying hand to his elder brother. Voice hoarse with disbelief and anguish, Kouen stared at her, "Iris, you—why not just come home to us? After all of that? We could have figured things out."

Her chest heavy and tears burning at the back of her eyes, Iris admitted, "Because I didn't want to risk Gyokuen killing Arashi. I didn't want to risk her taking away the only child I'm ever going to have."

As the sounds left their throats, Iris could see a mixture of emotions shifting through their eyes. Disbelief to anguish and then settling into a mixture of understanding and regret. Iris could see pain etching itself into their features, and it tore at her heart to witness it. Koumei's voice was soft, "H-how do you know...?"

"There was a healer in a larger village that we visited, she insisted on taking a look at me after hearing about Arashi's birth," Iris wanted to grimace at the bitter taste that now lingered on her tongue. "And by then, the damage had healed too much for her even to think about fixing. While there might be a very small chance that I could have another child, the chances are slim enough that I don't even want to think about it."

She took a sip of her wine, "So, does it make a bit more sense about why I kept away now? Selfish as the reason might be..."

"As much as I fucking hate it, yes," Kouen rubbed at his face, his voice a mixture of frustration and understanding. "You went through all of that with only Sirius..."

"Yeah..." Iris drained her wine glass and flicked her wrist. With a mental command, the broken wine glass on the floor was cleaned up by her magic and floated onto the table. The spilled wine was dissolved into a fine mist that disappeared. Koumei spoke as she set her empty wine glass on the table, "That was a lot."

Snorting softly as she smiled at him, Iris replied, "A lot more than that happened, Mei. Admittedly it wasn't quite as traumatic as that."

She looked at them, "What about you two? What happened after I left?"

"Other than us trying to look for you?" Koumei clarified while Kouen stood to grab the decanter of wine, his movements a bit more subdued now.

"Father had us go on multiple campaigns over the years in an attempt to distract us. He also tried to shove princesses in our faces in hopes that one of us would be interested enough to marry one of them," Koumei continued his expression a mix of amusement and irritation.

"Unfortunately enough for him, we'd already found the one woman for us," Kouen walked over with the decanter and bent down to pick up her wine glass. "Father became increasingly irate with our lack of interest in marrying some empty-headed noblewoman. He even tried to arrange marriages for us, but we made it clear that would not work."

Taking her refilled wine glass with a slight smile, Iris watched as Kouen slid back into his chair with a heavy sigh. Koumei interjected with a smirk, "We were determined to find you. Any attempts from Father—especially those that were obviously thinly veiled jabs from Gyokuen—were merely fuel. We enlisted help from Kouha, Judar, and many others to assist us."

"And when the occasional rumor popped up, we began searching the place it originated from only to come up empty," Kouen scowled at her, his eyes still holding a mix of frustration and relief. "It was as if you were a ghost."

"Not a ghost," Iris took a sip from her newly filled wine glass and offered him a sheepish smile. "Just very careful at laying down false trails and gathering together those that could assist me."

Snorting as he shook his head, Koumei smiled at her, "I should have guessed that was the case after the third time it happened, but we both wanted to find you so bad."

The heaviness in Iris's chest grew as she saw the pain and longing in their expressions. It was evident that they'd searched tirelessly for her. She saw Kouen's expression darken, his voice softer, "Father's health began to decline, and Gyokuen took advantage of that. We had to pull back our efforts to ensure our positions were still intact and to keep him from making too many mistakes. We had believed that our chance to look for you was gone until Judar came with the news that he'd found you in Sindria with Arashi."

Speaking softly as she set down her wine glass, Iris murmured, "I'm glad that he did—that Kougyoku was there in Sindria. I had been considering sending a letter at that point, but hadn't quite made the decision. I am glad that decision was taken from me."

His eyes were locked on the city below though he didn't register it, Kouen's mind was still on what Iris had told them. She had only recently left them to get some rest though they had all agreed that more talking would be done when they weren't so tired. His head turned as Koumei spoke, the younger man's expression was filled with pain. Face pale as his voice went soft, Koumei's fingers dug into the arm of his chair, "She went through all of that with only Sirius, En. If she'd stayed, we could-" He shook his head with a low sound, "Everything we even halfway imagined she'd gone through was wrong," He saw tears forming in his younger brother's eyes, "How do we even move forward? Help her move forward?"

His heart broke with the shared pain, Kouen let his body rest against the windowsill. Releasing a heavy sigh that did nothing to take away from the guilt stabbing at his heart, he spoke in a low voice, "We figure it out just as we have since the start," He licked his lips and let his head fall against the stone, "The past can't change even if we want it to, but...We will figure out how to help Iris as best we can," He let his fingers press against the stone, "Bond with our son and make damn sure Iris never regrets trusting us with the knowledge that he exists."

Nodding in agreement, Koumei sucked in a sharp breath, "A-alright," He shook his head, "This isn't going to be easy...but life isn't easy. Not for us..."

"Never has," Kouen snorted softly and pushed himself away from the windowsill, "But having Iris in our lives again will be worth it. And with Arashi as well, it will make things interesting,"

Taking a moment to compose himself, Koumei wiped away the tears that had welled up in his eyes. Speaking with a determined gleam in his eyes, Koumei murmured, "We'll have to be patient with Iris more so than we first believed now that we know at least part of what she's gone through," Kouen felt a pang of concern at the knowledge Iris had gone through more that had yet to be discussed, "We need to rebuild the trust that was between us."

"While I dislike that we are basically back to square one," Kouen's lips pulled into a grimace, "I am willing to be patient with Iris and understanding. Rushing in will only do damage even if we both wish for things to go back to the way they were," He moved to sit down across from Koumei in the seat Iris had vacated, "So patience is key,"

Running a hand through his hair, Koumei muttered, "No making her feel pressured or cornered, we'll have to be somewhat careful with our words and actions. Not enough to piss her off though."

Smirking at the thought of Iris getting angry, Kouen chuckled, "It's been a very long time since I've seen her angry."

Lips twitching into a slight smile, Koumei shook his head, "True, but I think it would be best to avoid angering her for the moment," Koumei's expression turned serious, "Our main goal is to make her feel safe and secure with us again."

"Agreed," Kouen sobered up, "We have a lot of rebuilding to do," He paused for a moment and sighed, "Though we cannot keep any of this from Iris. What ruined things before was miscommunication, we can't make that mistake again,"

Nodding in agreement with a resolute look in his eyes, Koumei reached out to grab his scarcely touched glass of wine, "We need to listen to her as well if we're going to rebuild trust, En."

Leaning back in his chair, Kouen rubbed his temples. He nodded to Koumei with a low sigh, "I'm aware, Mei. We also need to address the issue of her health. If she collapsed from stress and exhaustion before, it can happen again even if the circumstances are different. And with her condition after the Medium battle, I dislike the odds."

"We still need to broach the subject of a healer with her, but perhaps arrange it for the visit to be a regularly occurring one instead," Koumei cupped his chin, "Make it discreet to keep from worrying Arashi as I'm sure he'll likely be worried for her," A low hum left his younger brother, "We can frame it as a precautionary measure given the battle and the fact we both want to ensure fine,"

"She'll likely still protest it, but..." Kouen nodded slowly, "It should work. Though speaking of Arashi," Koumei gave him a curious look, "While we will need to speak with Iris beforehand, I believe we should find tutors for him and a weaponry instructor,"

"It's a good idea," Koumei rubbed his chin, "Iris did mention that she had Arashi in school while they were in Reim. I'll have to speak with her to figure out just how far he'd gotten before finding suitable tutors. As for a weaponry instructor, I believe that is more up your alley, En,"

"I have a few ideas though Iris will have the last call on any instructor," Kouen decided as he knew to trust Iris's instincts.

"Though we should also ensure he has a chance to socialize with other children," Koumei offered earning a raised eyebrow from Kouen as his younger brother had loathed socializing with other children when they were younger, "Arashi seems to be the type of child who actually enjoys socializing and it would be cruel to keep him from doing so. While we will need to talk with Iris about it, I'll look into the local noble houses and see if any of them have children around his age,"

"That's a good idea," Kouen nodded in agreement though he inwardly grimaced at the idea of having to interact with the local noble houses, "It's time for Arashi to begin interacting with children of his status,"

"Though," Koumei's expression was thoughtful, "We might need to be careful when it comes to that, En. Iris has had mixed experiences with nobles after all and she might not want him simply interacting only with noble children,"

His expression grew serious as he considered Koumei's point, Kouen knew exactly what his younger brother was referring to. Between her time in the Goulon Empire and what she'd dealt with thanks to Gyokuen, Iris likely didn't have the best opinion of the noble class. Speaking in a light tone, he acknowledged, "She hasn't had the best experiences, no, but we need to expose Arashi to the responsibilities and expectations that come with his status," He tapped his hand against the seat beside him in thought, "Perhaps we can craft a balance between him interacting with the children of nobles and those of commoners, we will have to ensure such interactions are carefully watched, but..."

"It should work," Koumei nodded to him, "Regardless of whatever we think will happen, Iris ultimately knows Arashi best. We have to trust her decision,"

Reaching for his glass of wine, Kouen murmured, "Parenting conversations will be fun, won't they?"

Snorting softly with a wry grin, Koumei merely tipped his glass back and took a long sip of the darkly colored wine in response.