Verdant Skies

As she slowly began to wake up, Iris's head and body were heavy in the way only oversleeping could produce. A general feeling of tiredness etched into her very bones, the remnants of the heavy magical work she'd done the past few days. Her eyes slowly slid open to reveal soft morning light and a flicker of confusion ran through her mind, she had only meant to nap for a few hours which meant that light should've been sunset, not sunrise.

As she shifted slightly, a familiar grumble sounded as a muzzle pressed into her stomach. Glancing down, she spotted Sirius's stormy grey eyes peering at her with a sleepy expression. Her finger tightened as she realized they were burrowed in the fur beneath his ear, she turned her head at the soft rustle of fabric. Her eyes met warm wine-red, Kouen spoke softly as he settled down at the edge of the bed, "Morning, Iris."

"Morning," Iris untangled one of her hands from Sirius's fur to reach out towards Kouen, "You didn't wake me,"

Catching her outstretched hand in his, Kouen pressed a gentle kiss to her fingers. Concern and warmth filled his eyes, he spoke softly as his fingers threaded together with hers, "With how tired you looked, I decided it would be best to let you rest however long your body would allow. Given the fact you slept from early afternoon till now, I think I was right to do so."

Her lips pulled into a soft smile and she shook her head, Iris murmured, "You spoil me," She gently pushed Sirius's head off her stomach and sat up, "Where's Mei?"

"Early morning meeting, he should be done shortly," Kouen ran his thumb along the back of her hand, "Feel better?"

"Tired," Iris admitted as she began petting Sirius, "I don't feel like I'm going to keel over from being so tired anymore," She offered Kouen a sheepish smile at his sharp look, "I overdid it, but given what we're probably going to be dealing with from two different directions, it's warranted,"

Sighing leaving his lips, Kouen shook his head, "I do not like it even if you're right," He gently tugged her to him and she leaned into his knees, "Are you hungry?"

As if to answer his question, Iris's stomach growled earning a low laugh as she flushed. She nodded while looking away from him, "Maybe just a little bit, I mean I've slept practically an entire day away and my magic is recovering-"

Cutting her off with a soft kiss on the cheek, Kouen chuckled as he started to pull away to stand, "Let's get you fed then, I'm sure Arashi would love to see you as well."

Smiling at Kouen's suggestion, Iris pushed herself off the bed and took a moment to properly stretch her limbs. Letting out a groan as her back released a series of satisfying pops, she rolled her shoulders before taking Kouen's hand and getting out of bed. Sirius jumped up with ease as Kouen slid his arm around her waist and began leading the way out of his room. Leaning into his side, she smiled as they walked through the palace halls towards the dining area.

Reaching the dining room, Kouen guided Iris to a seat at the table and pulled it out for her. Taking the seat, she watched as servants brought out a small selection of breakfast foods as Kouen settled down beside her. Koumei arrived with Arashi and Scarlet in tow. Shooting a small smile to Koumei, she giggled as Arashi practically sprinted towards her. Turning in her chair, she caught him just as he was about to crash into her.

"Mama! You're awake!" Arashi hugged her tightly as Scarlet leaped onto her shoulders and nosed into her neck with a series of whines and low churrs, "I was so worried 'cause you didn't wake up last night,"

Her chest ached at the fact she'd worried him, Iris hugged him a bit tighter as she murmured, "I'm sorry, Hatchling. I just used a lot of magic during the last couple of days and my body decided I needed to get some proper rest. I didn't mean to worry you."

"But you're okay, right?" Arashi pulled away to eye her with a suspicious look.

Nodding her head firmly, Iris smiled softly, "I'm fine, Dragonling. I just need to take it easy during the next few days which means Daddy Kouen might need to take over certain lessons for me," She glanced at Kouen with a small smirk and he raised an eyebrow at her, "Though I think you'd like practicing your weaponry with him."

Frowning at her, Arashi pulled away as his arms crossed, "I don't know, Mama. The only other person I've really practiced with besides you was Muu or one of his people," He looked at Kouen as Iris struggled against the urge to snicker at Kouen's eyebrow twitching, "I...Is Daddy Kouen any good?"

Almost wanting to burst out laughing, Iris saw Kouen's eyebrow twitch as Koumei covered his mouth. Clearing her throat, she told Arashi, "Daddy Kouen used to spar with me all the time and we always ended in a draw."

His eyes widened, Arashi breathed out, "Wow, not even Muu could do that consistently. I mean he beat you pretty often, but you beat him too," Iris heard a pair of sharp breaths at those words and wanted to laugh, "But...I guess that means Daddy Kouen is pretty good, huh?"

Ruffling Arashi's hair with a chuckle, Iris smiled at her son, "Daddy Kouen isn't just good, Hatchling. He's one of the best both with weaponry and with strategy. Daddy Koumei's a damn good strategist too."

Looking towards Kouen with a contemplative look, Arashi eyed him for a long moment before nodding to himself. Clearing his throat, he took a step back and bowed lightly, "Daddy Kouen, please teach me."

Shaking his head at Arashi's sudden formality, Kouen exchanged a look with Koumei and Iris. Smirking as he nodded, Kouen spoke in a mock-serious manner, "If you are serious about learning under me, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take you on as a student."

Eyes lighting up, Arashi grinned as he stood up fully, "Thank you, Daddy Kouen."

Shaking her head in amusement, Iris grabbed her cup of tea and took a sip as Kouen told Arashi, "Let's eat breakfast before even thinking about training though."

As Arashi gave Kouen a mock salute, Iris bit back the urge to snicker and finally dug into the food settled before her.

Settling down on the low couch in Koumei's office, Iris curled her legs underneath her as she leaned back. She took the glass of wine Koumei handed her with a warm smile. He settled down beside her with a low chuckle, "En doesn't know what he's in for, does he?"

Taking a sip of the wine, Iris bit back the urge to giggle. Swallowing the sweet liquid that was coating her tongue, she met Koumei's gaze with a playful smile, "Despite watching me work with him? No, Arashi is going to put him through the wringer just to figure out just what En's boundaries are and how hard he can push him," Koumei snorted and pulled his glass of wine away as he shook his head, "Drove Muu mad until he figured out what Arashi was doing," A giggle left her, "Then again, the minute he figured it out, he wanted to hit himself since his men pulled the same shit during their first few weeks under him."

Taking another sip of his wine, Koumei snorted, "At the very least, we know En won't try to kill him," Iris grinned at Koumei and he rolled his eyes, "You just want to see him get mad, don't you?"

"When En's in that rather delightful mix of frustrated and pissed off? Yes, I absolutely adore it," Iris took a sip of her wine, "It always leads to more interesting spars,"

Chuckling as he swirled the wine in his glass, Koumei leaned back against the couch with an amused glint in his eyes, "Somehow I knew that would be your answer," He toyed with one of her braids as his arm settled across the back of the couch, "Though I will admit seeing someone other than you breaking En's stoic demeanor sounds interesting."

"Entertaining," Iris corrected as she leaned into his side.

Toying with the braid, Koumei gained a thoughtful expression, "I suppose we'll just have to see how much patience En has for someone other than you."

Humming softly in reply, Iris took a deep sip from her wine glass. As she put her glass down on the end table, she finally asked the question that had been bugging her since breakfast, "Mei, is something on your mind? Or Kouen's for that matter?" She saw him glance at her with a confused expression and explained, "I can tell that you two have been acting a bit off today. So is something going on?"

After all the two had been giving one another glances almost constantly during breakfast when they thought she wasn't looking, Iris knew something was going on. Fingers stilling in her hair, Koumei released a soft sigh as his lips pulled into a soft smile, "You've always been a perceptive person, Iris," She raised an eyebrow at that, "While I will admit that we have been quite preoccupied this morning, it's nothing too concerning," He released her braid and took a long sip of wine, "More like we have decision that needs to be discussed with you."

"A decision?" Iris tilted her head as she turned to face Koumei more directly, "About what?"

His gaze filled with a mix of seriousness and anticipation, Koumei set down his wine glass as well, "About us...our relationship."

For a long moment as silence fell between them, Iris studied Koumei's expression. She couldn't stop herself from stiffening. Despite everything they'd gone through, she still had certain fears that nothing between them would ever stay because of what had happened in Kou. Jolting as the door opened, she darted her head and found Kouen walking in. Raising an eyebrow as the frown on his face deepened, Kouen asked, "What's going on? Iris looks like a deer in a hunter's sight."

Ignoring the growl of her inner dragon, Iris took a deep breath as she murmured, "Koumei mentioned something about you two making a decision about our relationship. He hasn't told me what it was yet."

Exchanging glances with Koumei, Kouen moved to sit on her other side and pulled Iris to him. Her back was stiff despite the instinctive urge she'd developed to simply sink into his side, the urge grew harder to ignore as his thumb began rubbing soothing circles into her waist. Pressing a kiss to her cheek, Kouen murmured, "Iris, I promise that nothing we were discussing is alarming. It's something important though and now that you're awake, it's time to include you in the conversation."

Her gaze flickered between the two, Iris swallowed heavily as she played with the edge of her tunic. Clearing her throat as curiosity formed, she put on a weak grin that faltered as she spoke, "Well, don't wind me up any further."

Grip tightening as he shared a look with Koumei, Kouen pressed a reassuring kiss to her cheek. Reaching out to grasp one of her hands, Koumei started to explain, "Last night while you rested, we," He gestured between himself and Kouen, "Talked for awhile. We both agreed that things between us while wonderful could be better," She frowned as a small bolt of hurt stung her heart, "For all that we love one another, we've realized that there are certain aspects that could be formalized to provide a stronger foundation for our relationship. It's not a lack of love or commitment; It's about solidifying our connection in a way that goes beyond what we've had before and ensures that no one can argue against it."

Squeezing her against him, Kouen locked eyes with her when she looked at him. His eyes were soft and filled with warmth, he spoke softly, "Iris, what we are proposing is to make our relationship official in the eyes of this world. We want to marry you."

As the words hung in the air, Iris felt a mixture of emotions surging within her. A part of her heart swelled with joy at the prospect that she'd never truly dreamed of. Love burned within her chest, she wanted to sink further into Kouen's embrace and kiss him. However, another part of her felt a lingering sense of fear. She remembered the concubines that the two had in Kou though none were present here in Balbadd. She knew that there would be many protests. Her lips pulled into a small frown, she reached up to cup Kouen's cheek, "I-what about the council back in Kou? Gyokuen? All of that Noble bullshit?"

Expression softening as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, Kouen tugged her closer. Speaking softly, he explained, "We've thought about it and are prepared to face any opposition. We want you," Iris's chest fluttered with warmth and she pressed her face into Kouen's chest, "Gyokuen can shove it along with the old foggys," His fingers ran along her back, "Mei has a plan for everything."

Shifting to look at Koumei with a quizzical look, Iris saw a light smile on his face. Speaking as he squeezed the hand in his grip, Koumei explained, "For legal reasons, En would be your husband on more official records where anyone can find it. Everywhere else especially where it matters? We both would be. Arashi would officially be named as En's heir which he's been wanting to do anyway," A glance towards Kouen showed him nodding along, "With that, Gyokuen wouldn't have a leg to stand on and we can finally work on booting her from the Empire legally."

Unable to help it even with the mixture of emotions racing through her, Iris let out a soft laugh. The practical aspects of marrying Kouen and Koumei were appealing even if she didn't quite care for them. Joy and trepidation mixed within in her chest, she slowly lifted her head from Kouen's chest to meet Koumei's gaze. Smile curling at the edges of her lips, she tilted her head at him, "You have plans in case problems arise from this?"

"Of course," Koumei pressed a hand to his chest with a look of mock hurt on his face, "Who do you take me for?"

Snorting as a sense of reassurance settled within her, Iris acknowledged that she truly did want what they were asking. She looked between the two for a moment before nodding as she spoke with a steadier voice than she truly expected, "Alright..." She saw the quizzical looks on their faces, "If you two are sure about this, I want it. I want to marry you both."

His lips pulled into a grin, Koumei kissed her as Kouen chuckled. Pulling away as Kouen tugged her close, she looked at him for a second before Kouen kissed her as well. Pressing their foreheads together, Kouen whispered, "We are sure, Iris. Even if Mei hadn't suggested it last night, I likely would have at some point."

Giggling as she smiled at him, Iris kissed him again, "Good to know though I will admit you both fucking scared me just now," She saw the half-apologetic look in his eyes and snorted as she pulled away, "So...how do you want to tell everyone? I know we're probably going to wait on telling Hakuei until right before we get married, but what about the rest?" She spotted the deer in headlights looks on their faces and shook her head, "You didn't think about that, did you?"

"Admittedly we were more concerned about getting you to agree," Kouen chuckled softly.

Rolling her eyes with an amused smile, Iris kissed his cheek, "Mission accomplished though we have to tell your siblings, household, and Arashi at least even if most of the world will only know that I'm married to En," She grabbed her glass of wine, "This is going to be a damn mess."

"A wonderful mess though," Koumei kissed her cheek.

While Kouen and Koumei would be handling a majority of the planning as they knew what actually went into a marriage ceremony, Iris would be making the smaller decisions and learning. During the nights as Iris had begun staying in Kouen's room more often than not, she worked through what decisions the two had made about the wedding and furthering her understanding of what went into weddings in this world. With their decision to get married and the fact all three of them didn't see a reason to wait, they were doing their best to get everything ready within a month.

After they'd sent off invitations to the Ren siblings that they wanted at the wedding, Kouen, Koumei, and Iris began the process of informing Arashi and the household members of their impending marriage. Much as Iris had expected, Arashi was more confused about what marriage was and why they needed to do it. The household members were overall quite pleased once they understood the plan. While some concern was expressed, Koumei and Kouen were quick to smooth things over.

When Kouha arrived, Iris heard the teenager's boisterous voice long before she saw him. Smiling as she walked through the halls from the garden, Iris spotted the teenager who was currently bickering with one of the Stewards. Leaning against the wall, she called out, "I thought I'd heard you, Kouha."

With a wide grin spreading across his face, Kouha let out a laugh as his vibrant pink hair bounced in the light, "Iris!"

As he approached, Iris pushed away from the pillar and caught him in a hug, "It's good to see you. You got here faster than any of us expected."

"I was already on my way here," Kouha hugged her tightly, "After all, I've got a nephew to meet,"

Chuckling softly as she pulled away, Iris shook her head, "You'll be waiting a bit to meet him, Arashi's out with Seishuu," Kouha pouted at her, "Even after nearly two weeks, he still seems to find new places to explore in the city. How about we get some tea and snacks? En and Mei are stuck in meetings right now though I'm sure they'll be happy to see you once they hear that you've arrived."

Expression shifting from mild disappointment to an eager smile, Kouha nodded, "After that long ass flight, I could kill for a drink and snacks. Let's go."

Snickering as she turned and began leading Kouha away while his attendants and Meihou were left with the steward, Iris asked him, "How has everything been in Kou? Kouen and Koumei haven't shared much since I've arrived."

Scratching the back of his head, Kouha shrugged, "Same old shit with the wicked bitch, we've got the usual political mess and power struggles. But that's the charm," He shot her a grin and she rolled her eyes while tugging a door open to reveal a cozy tea room, "Ooh this looks nice."

"And it's fully stocked with tea," Iris gestured for Kouha to sit down, "So take a seat, I'll brew us some tea and a maid should be along with snacks soon. They know to bring snacks when I head in here,"

"You've got them trained? Damn," Kouha sniggered as he plopped down on one of the comfortable chairs.

Shaking her head with a low laugh, Iris selected one of the more refreshing blends of tea and began brewing it. True to her words, a maid brought in snacks not long later. As soon as the tea was finished brewing, she walked over to the table and poured them both a cup. Settling down across from Kouha, she took a sip of her tea before asking, "How are you doing, Kouha? I know the fight was pretty rough on everyone."

"Eh, I'm all good now," Kouha eyed her, "What about you? I know you weren't doing too good after the battle,"

"I'm all good now especially with En and Mei insisting that I see a healer every few days," Iris snorted with a fond smile, "So," She leaned back and gave Kouha a light smile, "Did the letter En and Mei send out happen to say why they wanted everyone here?"

"No..." Kouha narrowed his eyes at her, "You know why, don't you?"

Inwardly cackling at the fact she'd be the one to break the news, Iris barely managed to maintain her light smile. Taking another sip of tea to stay calm, she set her cup down and prepared a small barrier over it before replying, "Oh, I see. I thought they might've mentioned the big event."

"Big event?" Kouha's eyes narrowed as a confused frown formed on his lips, "What big event?"

Grabbing one of the cookies, Iris waited until Kouha was taking a sip of tea before admitting, "Oh, we're getting married," Kouha did a spit take and she was grateful that her barrier prevented the spray from reaching her, "En, Mei, and I."

Coughing as he wiped at his mouth, Kouha's eyes were wide. Handing him a napkin as she giggled, Iris smiled lightly. Spluttering as he finally managed to clear his windpipe, Kouha's voice was a mix of disbelief and amusement, "Married? The three of you?"

"Mhmm," Iris took a bite of her cookie and downed it with a sip of tea, "I won't explain the entire thought process behind it. That's something I'll leave to Mei as he's far more thorough about that type of thing," Kouha slowly nodded, "But the three of us love each other and agree that making it official is something we want to do. Granted, the paperwork most people find will have me as En's wife if only to make most if not all of the legal issues go away," She kept a light smile on her face, "But in the end, I will be married to both of them where it matters."

"Holy shit," Kouha slumped against his seat, "I mean this is a big fuck you to pretty much the entire noble faction back in Kou. I know En just loves that especially since this means the wicked bitches days in power will be numbered," He eyed Iris, "The meetings they're in right now...they're dealing with the legal shit right now, aren't they?"

"Yup," Iris took another sip of her tea, "After all, we want to get married within the next couple of weeks,"

Shaking his head softly, Kouha muttered, "I need time to fully process everything, but..." He grinned at her, "Do you guys want help with the wedding?"

Laughing softly at his question, Iris admitted, "En and Mei are dealing with the big decisions since I'm still learning shit about this world. I could use some help with the smaller stuff mostly to ensure I'm not fucking things up too badly. Mostly the whole clothing situation since the options I was giving were kind of confusing."

"You're looking at the best person to ask," Kouha winked at her with a grin.

As Kouha began discussing the options of what she could wear at the wedding which was a lot more than what she'd been told by the seamstress she'd been working with, Iris felt herself relax. They ended up going to see the seamstress after finishing off their tea and Kouha promptly ripped the woman to shreds before firing her. Before she had a second to even fear that she'd be without wedding clothes, Kouha had another seamstress in the room and they were discussing options as the woman took her measurements.

As they began delving into the details of proper wedding attire, Iris felt herself relax at the air of confidence Kouha radiated. If there was one thing she'd been worried about, it was the clothes she'd be wearing. Despite growing more comfortable with dresses and the like since arriving in this world, she couldn't quite say with certainty what actually looked good on her some days. And with an event like this, she wanted to look good for Kouen and Koumei even if she knew they wouldn't care.

There was a rush of footsteps before Kouen heard, "Entei!"

Turning his head, Kouen spotted Kouha seconds before his youngest brother rushed at him. Grunting as the boy slammed into him, he stumbled back a single step before managing to right himself. Arms automatically wrapped around Kouha as Arashi let out a yelp of surprise from beside him, he muttered a soft curse while shaking his head. He slowly smiled, "Ha, when did you get here?"

"A few hours ago," Kouha pulled away with a mischievous smile, "Iris has been keeping me occupied," He poked Kouen in the chest, "Which reminds me," He scowled softly, "You owe me an explanation,"

Arching an eyebrow at his youngest brother, Kouen crossed his arms as he felt Arashi press into his side, "And what explanation is that, Dearest younger brother?"

Scowl firmly in place, Kouha jabbed his chest again, "When the fuck were you planning to tell me? I mean I get not wanting the wicked bitch to hear about it, but me? Your darling little brother? The one you love so much? I'm hurt!"

"And what didn't I tell you?" Kouen set a hand on Arashi's head as he felt the boy's fingers curl into his clothes.

"That you were marrying Iris with Mei," Kouha growled at him, "And you didn't think to tell me? Seriously, Entei, I could've helped. Would've loved to if only for the sake of pissing off the wicked bitch,"

"But now you're here and able to help," Iris chimed in as she walked through the doors.

"Mama!" Arashi promptly released him and rushed over to her.

Bending down, Iris caught Arashi around the waist and picked him up. Kouen noticed that she did so with some difficulty which wasn't too surprising as the boy was heavy thanks to the muscle he was developing. Arashi wrapped his arms around Iris's neck and burrowed his face into her shoulder as he murmured something. Hugging him softly, she murmured something back before speaking up, "Kouha," The teen turned to her, "You might want to actually introduce yourself before becoming more of an ass in your nephew's eyes."

Rolling his eyes, Kouha turned towards Iris and Kouen could see his younger brother visibly pause. Clearing his throat, Kouha called out, "Hey...Kid," Arashi froze for a second before shifting to peer at Kouha with a narrow-eyed look, "I'm Kouha. Your uncle. Sorry if my entrance kinda scared you, I do that shit 'cause it's funny to me."

Eyeing Kouha even as the suspicion died just a bit, Arashi still clung to Iris like a little monkey. Voice soft, he mumbled, "It's funny? How?"

"I can't really explain why it's funny to me. It just is," Kouha rubbed the back of his neck, "I mean don't you find things funny that other people don't?"

Expression twisting as he considered the question, Arashi slowly nodded as he began to wiggle until Iris set him on the ground. Keeping his voice soft, the boy murmured, "I-the merchants don't really like my pranks even if I do."

"See? You find something funny that other people don't. I find something funny that other people don't," Kouha grinned at Arashi and extended a hand, "How about we start again? I'm your Uncle Kouha. I'm also going to be your coolest relative,"

Eyeing Kouha's hand for a moment and glancing at Iris for reassurance only to be given a nod, Arashi took a deep breath before taking the hand. He let out a squeal when Kouha pulled him into a one-armed hug. Swatting at Kouha's hand as the teen ruffled his hair, Arashi cried out, "Oi!"

"Now we're on the right foot," Kouha declared with a grin.

Squirming free of the hold, Arashi stumbled back against Iris's legs and scowled at Kouha for a few moments. Iris set a hand on his shoulder with a soft laugh. Reaching out to ruffle Arashi's hair again, Kouha teased, "Now we're best friends, Kid."

Shaking his head with a chuckle as Arashi swatted at Kouha's hand with a scowl, Kouen knew it wouldn't be long before the boy warmed up to Kouha. While he didn't exactly like admitting it, Arashi and Kouha were similar enough that the two would get along well once his son got over their initial meeting. Speaking as Kouha glanced at him, he told his younger brother, "If you plan on helping out, I do not mind. It's a lot of work and little time to do it."

Giving him a mock salute, Kouha grinned, "Who do you think I am, Entei? You're lucky I arrived so soon."

Shaking his head, Kouen knew without a doubt that Kouha could help them with great ease. Out of all his siblings, Kouha had the most experience planning marriage ceremonies and various other party-like functions despite never tying the knot. It was one of the things that Kouha enjoyed doing and now they could use it to their benefit.

As Iris ducked beneath the heavy swipe of Kouen's blade, she dodged around him and began putting distance between them with a faint smirk curling across her lips. The training ground they were using was bathed in the golden glow of the afternoon sun. Her skin stung where Kouen had managed to cut her earlier on, the sweat starting to coat her body told her just where she'd be applying potions to later on. Licking her lips as she met Kouen's gaze when he spun around to face her, she laughed at the way his eyes followed her tongue, "I think this was a far more productive break from the wedding plan, no?"

Smirking as he shook his head, Kouen's eyes were dark with amusement and heat, "A break well spent though Mei would disagree," Iris snorted as they began circling one another, "Ha driving you insane?"

"To a point, I am thankful for his assistance though," Iris met Kouen's next swing head-on, "So what's with the letters I've been seeing as of late? While I don't recognize the seal, the scent coming off them is familiar to a point,"

As their blades met, Kouen grunted at the force she was using to parry his attack. The clash of steel echoed through the training grounds with a loud clang before she locked their blades. Kouen met her eyes for a moment before answering, "Sinbad has decided it would be best for all those who took part in the war against the Medium to meet during a Summit. The meeting will take place in two months."

Confusion and anger raced through her at that, Iris shook her head as she put more strength behind her blades to break away. Putting some distance between them, she demanded, "Why the fuck would you want to go anywhere near the purple-haired prick? Especially knowing what he wants with Arashi and me?"

"Because I want to make it clear that you both are ours," Kouen gave her a look as they began to circle one another, "Another reason is to figure out just what the hell else he wants, you know that,"

Frustration ate at her, Iris couldn't deny that Kouen was right. Her jaw clenched and she shook her head, she asked him, "But what of his Djinn?"

"I've ensured he and any of his allies that will be attending will not have their metal vessels within reaching distance," Kouen gave her a reassuring look.

Her shoulders relaxed at that, Iris knew that one of the biggest downsides of a metal vessel was its need for physical contact with the user. She took a deep breath before giving him a stern look, "I will be going with you. Arashi will be left here under guard. There will be no ifs, ands, or buts about it."

As his eyes narrowed at her declaration, Kouen came to a stop and Iris followed as she watched an intense look fill his eyes. His jaw clenched, he was likely weighing the potential risks and benefits of her accompanying them to the Summit. After a long moment, Kouen finally released a heavy sigh, "If you promise to stay close to Koumei and I, I will not protest having you with us. With your abilities, you'll more than make up for our lack of Djinn should Sinbad or his allies try to pull something. Though I will say this, I dislike the idea of you possibly getting hurt because someone decided to fuck around."

Nodding in agreement, Iris smiled at Kouen, "I won't be wandering off on my own, En. I just want to ensure you two will be alright, especially in that Jackass's presence."

His expression softening, Kouen walked over and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "I know. Now, shall we resume our spar?"

"Love to," Iris kissed him back before hefting her swords up.

As they resumed their spar, the clash of their blades began to echo once more. Kouen spoke as Iris began dipping and dodging his strikes again, "Alibaba Saluja and his household will be coming to Balbadd within the next month," She blinked in surprise and almost dropped her swords, "As will Muu Alexius."

Letting out a noise of surprise, Iris was startled enough that Kouen was able to pin her underneath him. Grunting softly, she gifted him with a small glare even as he smirked down at her. Letting her swords fall to the ground, she swore, "Fucker, you did that on purpose."

"Of course," Kouen removed his foot from where it was settled on her stomach and the sword from where it was laid across her throat, "But I am speaking the truth, the letters were not all from Sinbad,"

Taking the hand Kouen offered after he'd sheathed his sword, Iris punched him in the shoulder for that dirty trick, "Asshole, you're lucky we're just sparring otherwise I'd be fucking you over for that trick."

Chuckling as his smirk widened, Kouen shook his head, "I'll keep that in mind."

"So why are they coming here? I have some vague memories of a deal being made with Aladdin after the battle, but that wouldn't explain why the brat would be coming here. The kid would," She eyed Kouen with a small frown, "As for Muu, I know for a fact he doesn't like Sinbad. So for him to contact you," She narrowed her eyes as a thought occurred to her, "He wants to break the agreement that Lady Scheherazade made, doesn't he?"

Chuckling softly as he shook his head, Kouen smiled at Iris as she sheathed her blades, "Muu Alexius is coming to Balbadd to ally with me. He does not wish to allow Reim to be beholden to the Seven Seas Alliance."

"Which lines up with my thoughts," Iris wondered just how Muu had come to that decision though was glad she'd see her friend sooner rather than later, "And the brat?"

"While I did request that both Aladdin and Alibaba come here, the blonde brat apparently decided the magi would stay in Sindria," Kouen replied earning a soft snort from Iris, "I believe he thinks that I might attempt to kill them,"

Covering her mouth with a giggle, Iris shook her head, "You do radiate a certain air of fuck off, En," He rolled his eyes at her, "Well, it'll be good to see the brat and Muu. I've missed them both," She saw his eyebrow twitch, "Something wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, Kouen admitted, "I am just trying to piece together your exact relationship with Alexius."

With that said Iris realized why Kouen and Koumei both looked irritated every time Muu was brought up. Letting out a soft laugh, she shook her head, "Muu's my best friend, En. Like Luna and the others only from this world," She saw him blink slowly, "I can admit that I find him attractive and all, but I'm not interested in him. And he's not interested in me," She saw a flicker of doubt in Kouen's eyes, "He lost the love of his life during the Medium battle."

"He lost-" Kouen frowned softly, "Who?

Part of her hesitated as it was Muu's business, Iris knew Kouen would likely press Muu for the information when he arrived even if he wasn't doing it intentionally. Voice soft, she spoke with some hesitation, "His Magi," Kouen's eyes widened and she crossed her arms while looking away from Kouen, "It isn't something very well known. Hell, I wouldn't have figured it out if it weren't for my enhanced senses," She felt the usual sadness that came with thinking about Lady Scheherazade, "So trust me when I say Muu and I were just best friends, En."

Expression softening as he reached out for her, Kouen grasped her chin and gently turned her to face him. Speaking softly, he murmured, "I trust you, Iris. I'm sorry for prying especially when it seems like I've hit a nerve-"

"It's fine," Iris smiled weakly at him, "Talking about Lady Scheherazade still hurts even now, she's the friend I lost during the Medium battle..."

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Kouen murmured, "Do you want to spar again? Or get some tea?"

Realizing that he was giving her an out, Iris's smile grew a bit stronger, "Can we actually go take a dip in the hot springs? Maybe see if Mei wants to join us?"

"Of course," Kouen chuckled as he nodded.