A/N: I just realized that Ema spends a ton of time walking around the gardens. In my defense, it's not like she has a lot else to do at the palace.

Chapter 9: Useless Princes

"Prince Tsubaki, Prince Azusa, there you two are! Will you be attending Lord Satsu's meeting today on his proposed economic sanctions towards Losa?"

Ema watched from afar as the nobleman engaged Tsubaki and Azusa in conversation about the meeting. Azusa politely listened while Tsubaki looked obviously bored.

"Sorry," Tsubaki said. "I'm afraid we have more pressing business. Like eating breakfast. I'm feeling like something sweet this morning, what about you, Azusa?"

The nobleman's eyes narrowed in anger, but he quickly pasted a smile onto his face. "Of course, Prince Tsubaki. I'd hate to keep you from your breakfast. Perhaps next time." He bowed to the twin princes before turning and stalking away.

Tsubaki tutted and shook his head as he and Azusa walked towards Ema. "You'd think they'd stop asking," Tsubaki muttered, an irritated look on his face. His eyes widened when he spotted Ema and his lips split into a grin. "Lady Ema! What a far more lovely sight for our eyes this morning. What brings you to this part of the palace? I don't suppose you were looking for Azusa and me?"

"Why didn't you go to the meeting?" Ema asked.

"What?" Tsubaki asked, looking confused.

"The meeting," Ema repeated. "The one about imposing economic sanctions on Losa. Losa is attacking Koukidan's borders, aren't they? It sounds important—"

"I told you before," Tsubaki waved off, looking bored, "Azusa and I are unnecessary as princes. The baron only invited us because he was hoping to gain favor with me and Azusa, but he's trying to curry favor with the wrong princes. Which just goes to show how stupid he is."

He stepped closer to Ema, his eyelids half-lowering. Ema stepped back nervously, recalling that it really wasn't a good idea to be alone with these two. She stopped when her back hit the wall and Tsubaki ran his hands up her bare arms. "This is a boring conversation," he murmured leaning over Ema. "When are you going to finally let Azusa and me show you how fun life at the palace can be? You shouldn't concern yourself over silly things like meetings and economic sanctions. Worrying about it won't accomplish anything."

Ema blushed and pushed her hands against Tsubaki's chest, forcing him back. "You keep talking about how you and Azusa aren't needed and don't have a place as rulers, but I think the two of you could be much more if you wanted to be."

"Truly?" Azusa asked, his tone disbelieving as he raised his eyebrows. A softly amused smile covered his face. "And what makes you say that, Lady Ema?"

Ema turned to look Azusa in the eye. "Prince Tsubaki is vivacious and exciting. His personality naturally draws people to him. You, on the other hand, Prince Azusa, are cool and calm, especially standing next to Prince Tsubaki. People feel secure when they talk to you. Your strengths and weaknesses play off each other very well. The two of you could be formidable in government councils if you wanted to be."

Ema's words stunned Azusa and Tsubaki into silence. They didn't even protest when Lesa appeared unexpectedly and stole Ema away with some excuse.

"That was…unexpected," Azusa finally commented. He and Tsubaki received plenty of attention from women, both those they sought out and those they didn't. None of those women had ever paid enough attention to him and Tsubaki to notice what Ema had. To see the two of them as Ema apparently did. Azusa didn't know what to think of it. He wasn't sure he and Tsubaki deserved Ema's words.

"Yeah," Tsubaki agreed, looking uncertain and unsettled as he ran a hand through his hair. He gave Azusa a weak smile. "She really is different, isn't she?"

~.~

"Another secret rendezvous with the twin princes?" Lesa teased. "Careful, Lady Ema. I've seen many innocent maidens fall to their prowess. If you don't watch yourself, you might find yourself falling under their spell."

"I think they just need someone to believe in them," Ema said quietly, her eyes on the floor as they walked. "What would it feel like to think that you were useless? That your life had no purpose because you were the fifth and sixth princes? Maybe they just need a little help finding meaning in their lives."

Unknown to Ema, Lesa gave her a surprised look, then her lips curved into a smile. "You're always so kind and optimistic, Lady Ema. The princes are lucky to have you around."

"What?" Ema asked, looking up suddenly and blushing. "I-I think you're mistaken, Lesa. I don't know why you'd think they're lucky to have me around. I'm the one who's lucky that I'm allowed to stay here."

Lesa merely chuckled.

~.~

"Off to another dull meeting, Ukyo?" Tsubaki asked as his brother passed him in the hall, a harried look on his face.

Ukyo sighed. "Not yet, but soon. It's only a trifling matter, but Duke Rukan is very insistent that he must discuss tearing down the theater in the capital. Honestly, there are days when I truly understand Mother's desire to have some of the nobility thrown off the roof. There are far more important matters than a theater that I could be dealing with this afternoon." He shook his head as he continued on, oblivious to Tsubaki's shock.

"Wait!" Tsubaki called, chasing after his older brother. "What do you mean tear down the theater? Why? I thought it did well. Lord Asako was raving about a play he'd seen there just the other night."

"It's doing well enough as far as I'm aware," Ukyo said, not slowing his pace as he glanced at Tsubaki out of the corner of his eye. "Which is part of the problem. Duke Rukan and a few other nobles acted as patrons to the merchants who had the theater built and funded the project. Now, decades later, the merchants have finally paid off all their debts to their patrons and own the theater free and clear. The nobles are upset because the theater is no longer earning them money and they failed to finagle to keep part ownership. They want the place shut down now."

Tsubaki stopped walking, a heavy feeling settled over him. Azusa and Tsubaki had spent a lot of time at the theater, particularly when they were younger. Tsubaki had been enchanted with the theater as a boy. The stories and characters dazzled him and he marveled at the actors' abilities to make Tsubaki forget all about his own life and troubles for a time. Impulsively, he called out, "We'll be there."

"What?" Ukyo asked, finally halting his steps to turn and look at Tsubaki.

"Azusa and me. We'll be at that meeting."

Ukyo raised his eyebrows. "The two of you? What, you want part in the new theater? I'd think that'd be more work than the two of you are willing to put into anything."

Tsubaki scowled. "Don't worry about us, just know that we'll be there. Don't start it without us."

Ukyo sighed. "I'm not going to hold up a meeting for your sake. Just arrive on time if you want to be there. Or waltz in late like Kaname does whenever he bothers to come to meetings."

~.~

"The theater has been mismanaged ever since the merchants took over completely," Duke Rukan stated. "They've been irresponsible from the beginning and would have paid us back faster if they did not waste their profits on gambling and drink. It would be better for all if the theater was shut down now rather than allowing the owners to drive it into ruin and drain money from others in a useless attempt to save it."

"May we see the account ledgers of the theater?" Azusa asked.

"W-what?" Duke Rukan asked, blinking in confusion.

"The account ledgers," Azusa repeated. "I'm assuming you're not making claims of money mismanagement without proof. Do you have copies of the account ledgers for the theater so we may see where the money of the theater is going?"

"I…I…well, you see, Prince Azusa, I'm afraid I don't have access to the account ledgers now that the merchants paid off their debt in full. But I swear to you, we had problems with the merchants from the very beginning. While we still had a say in the running of the theater, we were able to keep them in line, but now that everything is controlled by the merchants…I'd hate for the theater to become a drain to the capital's prosperous economy." Other nobles around the room nodded in agreement.

"Truly?" Tsubaki asked, leaning forward as though enthralled with Duke Rukan's words. "I find your opinion on the merchants very interesting Duke Rukan, particularly since Azusa and I have known the theater's owners since we were boys. I've never found them to be drunkards and gamblers. At least, not any more than any other man off the street."

Duke Rukan froze, looking like a rat cornered by a cat.

"Of course, we've never had business dealings with them as you have, Duke," Azusa admitted. "If you can produce sufficient evidence that the theater is in poor hands and will only be a drain to our economy that is another matter."

"After all," Tsubaki added, "a country cannot claim to be cultured without the arts, and Koukidan is known for its cultured society. More than that, the arts are a unifier. People of all classes visit the theater. It's the one thing that many of them have in common. We would not wish to take away so valuable a component of the capital without a compelling reason."

No one spoke and Duke Rukan threw a pleading look at Ukyo, hoping for his support. Ukyo, however, was oblivious to the Duke's pleading look, though he knew well enough that the Duke expected Ukyo's support since Ukyo held little care for the arts. Instead, Ukyo's attention was on his brothers. He'd never seen them take the initiative on anything. It was gratifying seeing them actually participate. True, this was a minor matter, but it was still a good sign. Even better, they'd actually made well-reasoned and valid arguments.

"My brothers have an excellent point," Ukyo said. "The people of the capital love the theater and I've recently come to believe that the aristocracy would benefit from increased contact with the people we rule over. The theater may provide a more neutral ground for such interactions to occur." He turned to look at the Duke. "Without proof of your claims, Duke Rukan, I'm afraid I'll have to deny your desire to shut down the theater. This matter is dismissed unless more evidence is found and brought to our attention."

~.~

Azusa walked out of the meeting feeling…he wasn't even sure how he was feeling. Triumphant? Accomplished? When Tsubaki came to him and told him that nobles were plotting to shut down the theater, Azusa had been almost as upset as Tsubaki, but when Tsubaki had demanded that the two of them attend the meeting discussing the theater, Azusa had been shocked. He'd wondered what the two of them could possibly accomplish, but Tsubaki had brought up Ema's words, suggesting that maybe she was right, maybe the two of them could accomplish something together. And the other nobles supporting Duke Rukan had said little to contradict his and Tsubaki's arguments. Even Ukyo had supported them.

"It's all thanks to Lady Ema," Tsubaki said as the two of them walked to their quarters. "Without her I wouldn't have even thought of us trying to save the theater. If this had happened a few weeks ago, we would have done nothing."

Azusa felt oddly jealous at Tsubaki's words, but what was he jealous about? About a woman changing Tsubaki? Or about another man, even his twin brother, speaking so glowingly about Ema? "She's amazing," Azusa admitted. He wanted to see her to tell her about the meeting. He suddenly felt the urge to know more about her. And wanted her to want to know him. Why had she believed in him and Tsubaki when no one else had?

"She is," Tsubaki agreed, a look on his face unlike Azusa had ever seen before.

~.~

That night, Azusa went walking in the gardens alone. He needed some space from Tsubaki to try to sort through his thoughts. It shocked him when he walked passed a hedge and spotted Lady Ema among hibiscus. He stopped at the sight. She looked so beautiful, and her surroundings seemed to match her. Ema belonged in a garden framed by flowers as lovely as her. Why hadn't he noticed her looks this much before?

He cleared his throat to announce his presence, and Ema turned with a surprised look on her face. His heart clenched painfully when a wary look entered her eye and she looked around, as though hoping to spot someone else around. Of course, he couldn't blame her. Why would she view him with anything other than suspicion when all he'd done was stand by or help as Tsubaki tried to seduce her?

He stayed several feet away, hoping to make her more comfortable. "Tsubaki and I actually participated in governing affairs today," he told her. "A Duke and some other nobles wanted to tear down a theater enjoyed by the aristocracy and by peasants. We argued to protect the theater and we won…It's the first time we've ever done anything like that."

An excited smile crossed Ema's face and Azusa's heart thumped at the sight. "That's wonderful, Prince Azusa! But, what made you and Prince Tsubaki change you minds about getting involved?" She tilted her head to the side as she regarded Azusa curiously.

"You did," Azusa answered. "It was your words that encouraged us to try."

Ema blushed and looked flustered. "I didn't do anything, really," she argued.

"You did," Azusa countered, smiling. "You believed in us." Ema looked like she was about to argue again and she looked so adorable while blushing that it took all of Azusa's power to try not to seduce her. Not in Tsubaki's blatant way, but in his own, more subtle, way. Not that any of the twins' attempts to seduce her had seemed to have any effect anyway, but Ema was special. He didn't want Ema to want to know him better because she was attracted to his looks or because of his station. He wanted her to be interested in Azusa. Just Azusa. So he restrained himself and told her all about the meeting instead, enjoying having her undivided attention and seeing her obvious pleasure in his and Tsubaki's success.

~.~

Ema was still excited by Azusa's news the next day. She hoped that Tsubaki and Azusa would have more confidence now and feel like they could make a difference rather than just feeling like useless, extra princes. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard yelling ahead of her.

She was walking along outside the front of the palace for a change and a few yards away she spotted the source of the yelling. A nobleman was yelling at a palace servant. Off to the side stood Prince Kaname. Without meaning too, Ema kept walking until she could hear what was being said.

"I'm sorry to involve you in this, Prince, but since you asked what the problem is, this servant is lazy and his service is subpar," the nobleman declared, gesturing to the servant. "He should be removed from the palace staff immediately, which is why I called him out here." The servant curled his hands into fists, an angry and indignant look on his face.

"Oh?" Kaname asked. "You believe that the hospitality of Koukidan palace is lacking?"

"What? I—no, not at all Prince Kaname, this wastard is the only problem, which is why I sought to take care of it—"

"Ah," Kaname interrupted. "I see, the problem is that you are too comfortable since you seem to be under the impression that you have the right to make adjustments to the palace staff."

The nobleman fell silent, looking confused and uncomfortable. "If you find your visit here so unpalatable, you are free to return to your own lands. Or if you feel you have a genuine complaint, feel free to make your concerns known to the head maid or head butler of the palace." Kaname's kept his words and tones civil as he spoke.

The nobleman blushed red and bowed, spewing apologies before leaving. The servant also bowed, quietly thanking the prince before making his own exit.

Ema couldn't help but think that here was another prince not living up to his potential. Only, unlike the twins, Kaname didn't seem to lack confidence in his abilities. So why avoid participating in governmental affairs?

"Why do you waste your talent?" Ema asked when Kaname passed by her. He looked at her in surprise, just barely noticing her. Ema flushed, realizing that she'd said her thoughts out loud. "Pardon my words, Prince Kaname," Ema said with a bow. "I didn't mean to speak aloud."

"No apologies necessary, my Lady," Kaname said, giving Ema a flirtatious smile. "Though I'm afraid that you're confused about where my talent lies." He placed one hand on the wall behind Ema and leaned close to her. "I'd be more than happy to show you my true talents if you'd like."

"Please don't talk to me while hiding behind a mask," Ema requested. Kaname pulled back in shock, unable to believe what he'd just heard. Ema nodded to him politely before walking away, Kaname's incredulous eyes trailing after her.

~.~

"Lady Ema!" Tsubaki exclaimed, jumping forward and hugging her.

"Oof!" Ema said softly at the impact. "You're kind of crushing me, Prince Tsubaki," Ema said, a light blush on her cheeks. Tsubaki pouted but moved back and proceeded to talk to her with a few feet of space between them.

Kaname watched this interaction from afar. It had been a week since he'd spoken with Ema, and he'd been unable to get the conversation out of his mind. He didn't think about it constantly, but at night it crept up on him.

He felt oddly jealous watching Tsubaki with Ema. It wasn't as though he was attracted to the Ambassador's daughter, but he'd never had a woman see through him like Ema had. He'd never had anyone other than Hikaru and possibly Masaomi see through him before. He was curious about her, and didn't like other men flirting with something he found curious. Even more interesting was the sight of Tsubaki not attempting to feel up or kiss Ema. This was the first time Kaname had ever seen Tsubaki act like this. After the initial hug, Tsubaki kept his hands to himself, an excited and happy look on his face as he spoke with Ema. This only served to deepen the mystery surrounding the Ambassador's daughter. What kind of a woman could have an effect like that on Tsubaki?