Takuya had retreated to the safety of the bed, pulling his knees up to under his chin to keep his feet from being trampled over by Kouji, who was currently pacing like a caged wolf across the floor. Kouichi kept himself pressed in close to a corner between the wall and a dresser, watching his brother with a worried eye.

"Kouji, you'll do no good if you wear through the floor."

Kouji stopped for a moment, before keeping with his pacing. "Some grandfather that was. Insulting our honoured-father and mother. His own daughter! How do you expect me to feel about him not even taking us for kin?"

Takuya sighed a little. "Family is family, Kouji. You can't pick them, just live with them. Goddess knows I have to." He smiled a little at the thought of what his family would make of his life now. "Just accept him on his own terms and keep trying. And besides, I can see where you get your temper from," he teased.

Kouji growled low. "I see no part of me in him."

Kouichi sighed. "Just let it go. Tonight our grandfather is holding a feast to welcome honoured-Elbert and our mother to the castle." He half closed his eyes, reaching out to listen to the castle with his magic. "The servants are all talking and excited. So is mother, although she's a little afraid too."

Takuya tilted his head. "You can tell her out of everyone else?"

Kouichi opened his eyes again and smiled. "Only people I know well. They just feel familiar that way." He moved away from the wall, glancing out the window at the sun. "We should get ready for the banquet. It's only half a bell till last-meal."

Takuya sighed. "A banquet with the king means that I should dress in a noble's clothes again."

Kouichi shrugged. "Well let's try presenting ourselves as human while here. There's probably no other way to get our grandfather to begin to accept us."

"Times are changing, brother," said Kouji. "He needs to accept that the people-of-the-trees are going to become part of the kingdom. And that we're here to stay."

Takuya rolled his eyes. "Kouji, there are always people who resist change. For whatever reason, they can't accept change." He smiled a little. "And anyway, he's old. They're always the hardest to convince."

Kouji sighed and pushed an errant strand of hair back behind his ear. "Suppose we should dress like mother wants us to at court. Although maybe trying to hide our ears would be wise."

Kouichi nodded. "We can get through this. We'll have our friends and family around to help out."

"Right," said Kouji. "Now get out. I don't want you hanging around while I'm getting ready. I'll meet you in Takuya's room?"

Takuya nodded. "Okay." He stood up and put a hand on Kouji's arm. "I wouldn't listen to what he says. People can get things wrong sometimes. Most people thought I was a demon after all."

"Only on your bad days," teased Kouichi gently, stepping away from the wall. "Now we should let Ogre-Kouji storm around by himself."

Kouji muttered something at Kouichi in Elvish that Takuya couldn't quite hear. It caused Kouichi to laugh and make a hand gesture with his first two fingers of his hand folded over and pinned with his thumb, the other two held upright.

Takuya shook his head and left. He could recognise a long-standing argument between brothers, even in a language and culture he didn't know.

Takuya wasn't sure whether he wanted to burn Misuki Kimura alive, or trade his fire magic for earth magic and have the stone flagstones just open up and swallow him. Dinner was seeming to be almost silent, in sharp contrast to the few banquets Takuya had been to at court. He sat with Kouji, and watched Tomoko take small glances towards where her father was busy talking with Elbert, before she would glance back to her food unhappily.

Kouichi, sat by Elbert was trying to join in the debate that Misuki was trying to have with the king, but was unable to break into the discussion. Misuki's voice rose slowly in volume with the debate, and Takuya noticed both Kouichi and Kouji wince as his voice reached a yell.

"They can't be trusted, your highness! They're enchanting the whole court, found some child with delusions to help them, and are no doubt leading you into a trap!" Misuki's face took on a red tint as he continued. "They even attacked me with their cursed magic, and you and your men do nothing! Are you so far under their spell that you don't see what they are?"

Takuya moved a hand to Kouji's shoulder, trying to stop him from rising from his seat. "Just let him talk. That's all it is. You're bringing peace, and that's more important than one person's opinion of you." He felt Kouji tense up, but to his relief, the half-elf stayed seated. Takuya lent in close. "We have to try to keep the peace. These negotiations are important to both your people and mine. If we fail, or if the darkness is too big, we're going to need everyone's help." He sighed and touched the hilt of his sword. "I've got to talk to Kouichi about this. I need to know what's coming, what he sees."

Kouji snorted. "Good luck with that. My brother wouldn't see much of anything with this amount of tension in the air, and we've never been able to discover a trigger to his dreams."

"I'm still going to ask," said Takuya, wincing as Misuki said what he thought of farmer's sons who were soft enough in the head to believe that fire moved by their will. "And you're not the only one who dislikes what he's saying."

Elbert slammed his goblet on the table, creating a silence in the hall that seemed to ring in the high ceiling, and even managed to halt Misuki's tirade. "Enough." He stood slowly, using his height to loom over his host. "You not only question the good will of youths who would have been much happier without ever coming into contact with humans, you not only question the good will and honesty of your own daughter, you not only question the chosen warrior of the gods themselves, but you question me. Your king and sovereign lord. At my coronation, you swore fealty to my rule, and that you would obey. That you spend all your time studying the past to understand what happened, this does not give you an unique insight into what is happening today within the court when you have not been present there for years." He turned his head slightly to look at Kouji. "Your own grandson," he held up a hand to cut off Misuki's protest, "Your own grandsons are chosen by the gods themselves to help, precisely because of who they are. They have been accepted by their mother, and they have accepted her, to the point that they will protect her from anyone, even her own father." He sighed tiredly. "As for the Fire-Mage Kanbara… If he wishes to refute your claims, I will understand." He turned, bowed slightly to Tomoko and Kouichi, before turning back towards Takuya and Kouji, bowing to them. "I take my leave. I find this room rather confining all of a sudden." He swept out, not giving enough time for Misuki to intercede.

Tomoko paused, then yawned, delicately covering her mouth with her hand. "I am quite fatigued by all this travel. I must wish you goodnight, Father." She rose softly, curtsied to Misuki, then turned to Kouichi. "Staying isn't needed, child. I will wait." She smiled at him, then left the banquet hall.

Takuya watched the twins carefully, waiting to see if they were going to leave as well. Part of him wanted to get out as fast as possible, as with both Elbert and Tomoko leaving to show their disapproval, it had left them alone with Misuki. He could see Kouji's eyes flickering as Kouichi talked to him using magic, and Takuya could also see Misuki gathering his thoughts to start on them.

Goddess, help us out of this mess! Takuya tapped at his token lightly, sealing the prayer, then shifted his hand to the hilt of his sword nervously. His magic pulsed slightly at the touch, before settling.

"Just get out." Misuki wouldn't look at them as he spoke. "Get out. Out of this room, out of my home, and away from my daughter. Whatever tricks you're playing on her, because of some stupid dalliance in her past, I want you to stop. Whatever tricks or enchantments you're using, stop and leave my family in peace. Stop trying to break my daughter's heart again."

To Takuya's surprise, it was Kouji that spoke in reply. "We'd never do that to her. She's our mother, and even with our magic, we'd never do anything to harm her. You don't have to love us, or even accept us as your grandchildren, even though that'll hurt her. All you have to do is accept that we mean no harm, and want to have peace between the people of the trees, and the people of the earth." He stood, and started to bare his forearms in the elvish gesture of apology that Takuya had seen them use on occasion, before he reconsidered and bowed formally. "And I'm sorry I lost my temper, and control of my magic." He turned slightly. "Kouichi. Takuya. Let's leave this old fool to his hatred."

They both nodded, and followed him out of the hall.

Kouichi sighed, and moved his gaze away from the washbasin. "I told you, Takuya. I can't scry the future. I gave up trying long ago, because it never worked, and even now it still doesn't." He stretched slightly, and withdrew his magic from the water.

Takuya nodded, and bent to watch the flames in the hearth. "You've never really told me the limits of what you do." He smiled as he remembered Kouichi's first explanation of his magic in halting and broken Common. "You see truth. Things far away in water, and what is in men's hearts. That's what you told me when I first asked."

"And that's true," said Kouichi. "Broadly, anyway."

"What about not broadly? You said that you can tell people you know well apart from strangers, and sometimes you talk about me having a destiny. How can you know that if you only see the future in dreams?" Takuya watched the fire flicker, then started to force it to die, practicing that important skill.

Kouichi looked uncomfortable. "It's… not something I like to talk about."

"Our secrets are just that, Takuya. Secret." Kouji ran a hand through his hair carefully. "Our honoured-father would not discuss our… 'uniqueness' with anyone except Hara and the council in a limited way. He thought it was important that no one would have knowledge, and therefore power over us."

Takuya looked confused. "But why would anyone use you, use your magic like that? The elves don't seem to have politics the same way that we humans do. You wouldn't be used in a power struggle, would you?"

Kouichi laughed humourlessly at that. "In some ways, that's exactly it." He looked at Kouji, knowing that Takuya would know exactly what he was doing. …We should tell him…

…That would break one of the biggest rules of our people, brother. If we tell him that, how could we still consider ourselves members of the People of the Trees?…

Kouichi considered his options, before replying. He knew that as the elder of them both, his decision was the one that Kouji by tradition had to abide by. …Then I shall tell him about my power, my knowledge of others destiny. Knowledge of our own destiny, I will not mention… Kouichi turned his attention away from his magic and back to Takuya. "Takuya… I can only see the future in dreams, and then only in some vague, twisted way. I'm little better than as blind as you with the future."

Takuya lost control of the fire in surprise, the flames springing back up as his attempts to stop them ceased. "What? But, you saw the future! You said that you could tell that I had a destiny! How can you say that if you can't see the future?"

"Because of destiny." Kouichi paused a minute, to figure out how to explain something to him that was so natural that he never really gave it a second thought. "The world, it has a way that it's supposed to happen. Events make the world flow and change, but it's a river flowing down the hill towards the sea. It can't go back up the mountain, no matter how many stones lie in it's path." He shook his head slightly. "I can see if someone is… flowing the wrong way, for want of a better description."

Takuya moved closer. "And what about me? Am I flowing in the right direction?"

"I don't know." Kouichi closed his eyes, the better to try to explain what he saw. "You're not like any other person. It's like, you're where all the rivers meet. I can't see what happens so well around you, you cause so much disruption. That wouldn't happen around someone who didn't have a destiny, and it's getting worse all the time." He opened his eyes again. "I don't know what else to say. I really can't see the future, Takuya. Not the way you're hoping for."

Takuya nodded slowly. "So what about you? 'Generals of neither people' kinda suggests that you've got the same thing happening."

Kouji shook his head. "Not that he can see."

"No?"

Kouichi took up the explanation. "I can't see either my own path, or Kouji's. My own magic shields me from that. Kouji's… path is so intertwined in mine that I can't see his either." He muttered something in Elvish before turning back to Takuya. "I told you all this was complicated."

Takuya smiled at him. "I'm starting to see that. I just wanted to know. I'd like to think that you trust me, and I'm really going to need your help on these negotiations."

"You've got mine," said Kouichi, before yawning. "I'm thinking sleep would be an idea. Tomorrow will be…" he seemed to search for the right word. "Chaotic, I think. Sleep well, Takuya. Tolmey bring you rest, Kouji." He left, still yawning.

Takuya looked at Kouji. "Did you know all that? Before he told me?"

Kouji nodded. "I'm probably the only person who knows apart from him now that our honoured-father is dead." He gave Takuya a rare smile. "You asking about our magic is something we thought would happen eventually. Now that we speak Common better, and you have control over your own magic, it seemed likely that you'd start to wonder about differences." He placed a hand on Takuya's arm. "But just so you know, what he said, I agree with. We both trust you, and will help you. To the bitter end." He squeezed Takuya's arm gently before letting go. "Now you better try to sleep, Mage Kanbara. You're going to be talking yourself hoarse tomorrow if the High Council is anything like its sub-councils."

Takuya sighed. "Lucky me."