Kouichi kept his head down as he walked through the castle corridor, carefully balancing a tray of food that would no doubt go uneaten again. He felt a nearby servant shy back in fear, and blushed slightly. Wish the quartermaster had given me something to hide my ears. He continued to walk carefully back to his rooms, but was surprised to hear someone fall into step behind him. He paused in his walk and turned to find a blonde girl watching him. It took him a moment to realise that this girl in britches and shirt with her hair pinned up was the Lady Izumi, this time dressed without all her finery.

She nodded at him. "Hello, Kouichi." She moved to walk with him. "I wanted to see how you all were. All I knew was that Takuya did something that stopped the fire and saved the prince, and now you're to be given a pardon."

Kouichi nodded, and started to walk again. "For 'services to the kingdom'. Fresh clothes, proper food, and apartments." He blushed. "Although nothing as grand as yours I'm sure. But at least we're no longer playthings for Master Goodwinson, and we're not treated as animals." He took one of the staircases leading upwards. "I just wish, in part, that my magic was still bound. There's a lot of fear wherever I pass."

Izumi shrugged. "And is there fear from me? I like you, Kouichi, and despite what the rest of the court think, I know that you're the equivalent to a lord's son."

"To a lord's disowned son," corrected Kouichi. He nodded at a door, which Izumi opened for him. "You're welcome to stay for a while, but you must be quiet." He led her inside, and placed the tray of food on a small table. //Kouji?//

Confused and unfocused thoughts tumbled back. Kouichi smiled. Still sleeping then. He picked up the tray, and turned to Izumi. "Please sit, I'll only be a moment." He moved to one of the interior doors, and pushed it open with his shoulder, entering Takuya's bedroom.

It was just as he had last seen it. Takuya lay in the bed, looking very ill with his body covered in bandages. His face seemed paler than usual, and his lips were parted to take in slow, hissing breaths. The castle healers had done their work and eased him into a deep sleep with their magic, allowing Takuya to rest without pain or dreams while his body healed, aided by the herbs and ointments that were concealed under the bandages. Somehow it seemed worse that Takuya's usually constant movement was stilled.

Kouichi placed the tray down on a table, and turned his attention to his brother.

Kouji was sat in a chair he had carried over to stand at the side of the bed. Currently he was curled into the chair, with his injured hand hanging over the side to wrap its fingers about Takuya's hand. Kouichi frowned at Kouji's state, which was still in disarray even though the fire had been four days ago. While he had made a cursory effort at washing the soot from his face and hands, the rest of him still bore the mark of the soot and smoke from the fire. His hair reeked of smoke, and several strands had come loose from his tight ponytail. Kouichi briefly considered nagging him again, insisting that Kouji go wash at the bath house, and then wear the clean clothes Kouichi had claimed from the quartermaster for him, but decided by looking at how carefully Kouji held Takuya's hand that it would do no good. He moved to where the clothes sat piled on a chair and took the blanket that hung from it, and spread it over his brother's sleeping form. //Remember to eat when you wake, Kouji. Takuya wouldn't want you to get sick too.// Kouichi withdrew from the room silently, only to see Izumi watching inside.

"He got pretty hurt, huh?"

Kouichi nodded and sat at a table holding scraps of parchment. "And Kouji refuses to leave him."

Izumi looked puzzled and sat in another chair near Kouichi's. "Why would he do that? Is it some sort of warrior's code?"

Kouichi snorted. "It would seem that way to Kouji, but I think there's another reason." He picked up a pen and started to write. "I think, maybe, Kouji is falling in love with a human. Must be why he's denying it so hard."

Izumi made a face. "Urk. Is it normal for you elves to fall in love with the same sex?"

Kouichi shook his head. "It's very unusual, and frowned upon as a permanent thing. Then again, not all mating last a lifetime either. But in the short term, if it brings them both happiness, why should it be thought of as wrong?"

"And you?"

"Me?" The pen slipped from Kouichi's grip. "I'm not in love."

Izumi put a hand on his knee gently. "Sure it's not denial, just like your brother?"

Kouichi took Izumi's hand and moved it gently back to her lap. "I'm sure. I quite like humans."

Izumi smiled at that, making Kouichi think that maybe he had phrased that badly. "But anyway, aren't you the least bit curious why I'm not dressed in fine clothes?"

Kouichi shook his head. "More practical, and they are still finer clothes than the servants wear. But I assume that you're not supposed to?"

Izumi shook her head, looking gleeful. "I was going to help with the reconstruction when I ran into you. I thought you might like to come help too."

Kouichi shook his head. "I make people nervous."

"Not everyone," said Izumi. "And as well as me, there are pages and squires, and even a few of the younger knights helping the commoners." She tugged at his arm gently. "You'd be a big help. I've heard elves are ten times stronger than we are."

Kouichi sighed and let himself be tugged to his feet. "Not that strong. I think we're maybe twice as strong, but I don't know… I've never lived with another human besides Takuya." He took the pen again, and wrote a quick note to Kouji.

Izumi watched with interest, squinting slightly at the unusual curled shapes Kouichi wrote in. "You elves are too subtle. Your words are almost identical, whether they're written or spoken."

Kouichi put the pen down. "Writing reflects speech. Yours is full of unnecessary complications."

Izumi looped her arm through his. "Enough of the scholarly stuff, lets go make ourselves useful."

Kouichi suppressed a sigh and let himself be dragged on Izumi's arm through the corridors of the castle. "How come you know some of the knights well enough to go help them then?" he asked, trying not to stumble.

Izumi grinned. "Because I've fought them. I used to fence until it was decided by the court I should practice etiquette, not sword-play." She let go of Kouichi's arm as she led him outside. "I don't want to have to wait around for some man's help if I get into trouble. If the peasant-women can look after themselves, why should we noble-women be any different?" She jerked to a halt as Prince Joshua came walking towards them down the corridor, pulling Kouichi to the side to let the prince pass. She moved her hands into an abortive curtsy, then realised that the motion meant little without a skirt, so she settled for a clumsy bow.

Joshua stopped his walk by her to look at her curiously. "Are you a new servant?"

Izumi flushed brightly. "I'm Lady Izumi, your majesty."

"A lady? But then why are you dressed as a page and keeping company with a…" Joshua turned to Kouichi, and his eyes widened with recognition. "… This creature is dangerous, my lady. You should not keep company with such a beast. Even the servants have the good sense to be afraid of it."

Kouichi tilted his head. His magic was guiding him to read Joshua's heart, rather than the dim whispers and feelings that were his life's normal, unfocused background. He focused his magic on the prince, and found it was telling him that the prince was upset over the chance meeting and fearful of Kouichi's very presence, and that underlying that was a slow-burning anger, along with a sense of waste. He tried to clear his mind of those thoughts in order to make sure he spoke in common to the prince. "Honoured-Joshua, we have been found to wish no harm by your honoured-father's judgement. Indeed, we have been given free-conduct of this castle, and when Takuya recovers, a formal recognition of freedom of the kingdom."

Joshua looked angry. "You tried to kill my brother, and my father lets you go. I hope I don't make him unhappy if that's the result." He turned back to Izumi. "My lady, reconsider this path, else you may no longer be welcome in this court." He continued his walk.

Kouichi frowned. Although the prince had seemed quite angry about the near-death of Prince Raoul on the outside, he could find no corresponding feeling within the prince's heart, just a cold stillness. He turned to Izumi. "Has there been word of honoured-Raoul's health? I know Takuya has been left alone because so many were hurt in the fire, and that the heir took priority."

Izumi nodded. "I heard that he is improving, but he coughs terribly from the smoke he breathed in." She resumed walking, and Kouichi moved quickly to follow.

"And why is Joshua so angry? Surely he can't blame us? Takuya's magic couldn't have escaped the mage's binding."

Izumi pursed her lips in thought. "Maybe he blames you so he doesn't blame himself for his brother's near-death. It's not talked about, but Prince Raoul didn't try to escape or even rouse from slumber when the call of 'fire!' went up. I saw Joshua pour something from a vial into Raoul's goblet at the feast, perhaps a badly timed prank on his brother with a sleeping draught stolen from the healers' quarters caused Joshua's guilt, and therefore his anger."

Kouichi nodded, but walked in silence as his mind raced. There was no guilt there, none. He is not sorry for his honoured-brother's state, of that I am certain. And there was fear of me, a far more focused fear than the vague and unfocused worry of the servants. Something about me scared him, and for a reason.

"Kouichi?" asked Izumi, noticing his silence. "What are you thinking about?"

Kouichi shook his head, then moved aside to let her enter the courtyard first. "It's probably nothing important, Izumi. Just something that doesn't fit."

Izumi frowned, then grinned and waved at some of the boys working at shaping wood under the supervision of the castle carpenters and their apprentices. "Hey! Katsuharu! Loden! Rossco!"

The boys all looked up, and Kouichi caught a wave of what could only be hormone-induced lust coming from them. He laughed, then moved to catch up with Izumi, who was busily introducing all the people she knew by name, including the carpenters. Finally she motioned that he should come forwards.

"Guys, this is Kouichi." She paused as a few gasps were heard, but kept her grin fixed. "I know he looks strange to you, and elves are supposed to be all scary and evil, but look at him. Is he really any different to you? Be nice to him, because he came here to help me help you with all this repairing stuff."

"He is nice!" chirped a voice.

The boy Izumi had called Katsuharu turned to face the speaker. "Shut up, Himi. No one cares what you think."

Kouichi mentally sighed. Nice boy. Guess bully are the same, elf or human. "Hello, Tomoki," he called out. Many of the workers turned to stare at the small page. Kouichi smiled and continued to speak. "How are your parents? Have they gone home yet, or are they still visiting you and Yutaka?"

Tomoki grinned, realising that his friendship with Takuya, Kouichi and Kouji gave him some power over his tormentors. "They went back to Snowshead yesterday. Yutaka wanted to visit home again before King Elbert sends him out on a quest or something."

With the realisation that one of their number accepted Kouichi much of the tension was broken in the group, and they went back to their tasks. Izumi sat, carving out pegs to use in joinery with a sharp knife Kouichi was surprised to notice that she handled expertly. He himself found that his minor knowledge of woodwork gave him a saw and tape-measure to start trimming down planks and timbers. He was also always the first called upon when the heavy timbers needed moving or rotating, much to the amazement of the pages, who were in awe of his strength. Kouichi disliked their scrutiny, but found the work restful as it kept his mind from the two figures he had left sleeping in Takuya's chamber. He worked steadily until sunset, when the work was halted, and found that many of the castle now had new respect for him.

He cleaned himself with them in the baths, checked on Takuya who had still not awoken, then ate in his quarters with Kouji, before falling tiredly into bed, hoping that the days work would stop the nightmares that the fire had given him. The fear of the castle seemed oppressive on him as he tried to let sleep claim him, causing him to mutter a prayer to Lord Tolmey, the elf-god of winter, sleep and death. Finally he slipped into an uneasy sleep, filled with the sound of fire and shouting.