Hello everyone! I said I would do a KouenxOC and here it is! I hope you all enjoy and please review, follow, favorite, whatever floats your boat.

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't updated any chapters for my other fanfictions. I have not dropped them, I'm simply very busy. I already had this written up so I decided, why not just upload it so everyone knows I'm not dead! Yay for being alive.

I don't own Magi or its characters. Also, this story takes place without any Gyokuen getting the throne nonsense. In fact, besides being incredibly two-faced, Gyokuen isn't that much of a threat in this fanfic.

Chapter 1: Entei's Dilemma

"Brother," Koumei's familiar tired voice called out. It echoed down the almost completely empty hall of the Palace: The Palace of Prince Kouen of the Kou Empire, future Emperor.

Kouen stopped and looked back at his younger brother quizzically. "What is it now?" His anger was barely masked in his words. He inwardly reprimanded himself for barking at his brother; he did not deserve this behavior. After all, without him, Kouen wouldn't be able to do all that he had done so far. He owed a lot to Koumei and Kouha. He wasn't angry at his brother; it was those damn advisors of his that he wanted to pummel. Taking a sobering breath, he studied the red-haired man as Koumei made slow progress toward him. He was in his normal baggy robes and jewelry. He held his metal vessel loosely in his right hand, a stack of papers occupying his left hand.

"You just left in the middle of the meeting," Koumei reminded him, placing his fan-metal vessel atop the papers and running his freed hand through his messy hair. How long had it been since Koumei had gotten a chance to go back to his own room and sleep in his own bed? He had been in so many meetings this past week.

Kouen wanted to tell his brother that he needed to stop overworking himself or he would end up with premature gray hair; not that Kouen was any better. Koumei seemed really worn down and tired. With a sigh, Kouen turned back around and continued down the hall, hearing his brother's following footsteps close behind. "I didn't feel like indulging in their idiotic plans." There was acid in his tone, but he didn't feel like covering it.

Koumei chuckled. "Those old geezers have been at this forever."

"And they haven't given up," Kouen agreed.

"Well, they know we're running out of reasons. They have you know, brother. We dont have any more excuses."

"Can't you think of something to divert them a bit longer? By then, I can find another reason. Maybe." Kouen knew this wasn't going to happen. He just had to face it: his advisors were going to force him to find a wife.

Its not that Kouen was against interactions with women. No, he enjoyed their company... for a night. After that, though, they were simply a nuisance. Being tied down to a single woman, whom he would have to find the time for, had not been his plan. But at this point, whether a chosen woman had qualities he wanted or not depended solely on his cooperation. Maybe he could find one that was low maintenance and wouldn't get in his way. That's the least he could ask for and the most he would expect from any of the snobs that were to be possible candidates. "I guess I better think about what I want in my woman," he muttered with a sigh of defeat. Defeat. That was new to him.

"Really?" Shock was evident in Koumei's voice.

Kouen opened his mouth, ready to complain about his predicament, when a commotion caught his attention. They had exited the confines of the palace and were now just outside the palace walls.

"Let go of me you you sick pervert!" a girl's voice yelled out.

Kouen and Koumei rounded a corner only to see a strangely interesting scene play out. One of the palace guards, one Kouen did not recognize, had a firm grip on the wrist of a black-haired girl, looking at her with non-platonic interest. Two other guards had accompanied him. One's back was turned to Kouen so he could not see his expression, but the other was leering at the girl with a sick grin. Within moments, the girl suddenly twisted in a way that sent the gripping man stumbling forward, barely saving himself the humiliation of falling on his face. Before the other two could register what had happened, the girl had swiped a foot beneath one of the men, making him fall back, stunned, as his feet left the ground. As he fell, she stole the sword from his scabbard and charged the last man, sending him in a tumble before slamming the tip of the sword though the earth between his legs.

Kouen watched with amusement as the girl moved a stray hair, which had escaped from her hair bun, behind her ear with delicate long fingers. She sneered at the man she was now straddling. "Consider yourself lucky. I missed on purpose. Next time, it won't be a clean shave," she hissed before standing up and dusting herself off.

One of the men, the one that hadn't yet fallen, seemed to have not learned his lesson, for he lunged for the girl, sword drawn. Before he could swing down, the man found his arm restrained. He looked up at Kouen in anger only to freeze up when realization dawned on him.

"I believe she already made a point that she didn't want you," Kouen spoke with a bored expression, but his eyes were deadly. They bore through the man's soul, leaving him shaking from fear of death. Kouen's other hand hovered over his metal vessel. Would it be bad of him to shred this man to pieces?

Kouen heard Koumei's careful steps behind him and realized what he was about to do wasn't right. He forced his hand to relax and return to his side, leaving the sword at his waist. Killing the man in the middle of the street wasn't a good option. With all the self-restraint he could muster, he released the man's arm, causing the man to fall to his knees, sword clattering to the ground.

Kouen looked back up in the girl's direction and met the most breathtaking sapphire orbs. The girl was looking back at him in surprise, amazement, and… horror? Shit, what had he done now to make this girl horrified? Before he could ask her, however, she turned and fled.

Confused, Kouen cocked his head to the side and turned to his brother. "Did I say something weird?"