"How was your visit seeing Kyoko?"

Kuon's hand holding the quill twitched, the only outward indication of his feelings towards his advisor's question.

"I was visiting the concubines, not Kyoko, to alert them to the current situation." said Kuon, casually returning to his work. "Kyoko is but one of my concubines. I did not have time to converse with each of them on the matter. As she was already aware of the situation, and did not need clarification or comfort, it would be unlikely that we would converse."

"Unlikely, but not impossible" said Yukihito.

"Did you get the reports?" Said Kuon.

"Ah, yes Here they are."

Kuon took the documents from Yukihito, quickly reading over them with a practiced eye. He didn't look up, knowing that Yukihito was staring at him intently. Hopefully if he ignored the man he would get the hint and leave. He shouldn't have counted on it. Yukihito loved to mess with him as much as the concubines liked to gossip.

"I'm sure Kyoko has been worried about you." Said Yukihito. "After all, she hadn't seen you since the tournament, and I'm sure you wanted to reassure yourself that she was doing well. She was highly involved in the mess with the accursed and is probably going to continue getting involved. Then there was that accursed man Reino stalking her and-"

"Yukihito." Said Kuon, cutting the man off. He sent him a bright smile, irritation just visible beneath. "I am not sure what your purpose is in bringing this up. If it is simply to make light of my situation, then please." And then his irritation was visible. "Avoid that topic."

Yukihito's face turned white, eyes widening. Kuon held his gaze for a few moments before relenting, allowing his counselor to catch his breath. The man stuttered an apology, which Kuon ignored as he went back to his documents. He didn't mean to scare Yukihito, but it had been harder to keep his emotions in check recently, especially with… more sensitive subjects. Ever since he had been hit by that light sword, something had felt off. The memories of that day had come flooding back into him, revisiting him almost every night.

The image of his face, twisted in pain and anger, body bloody and broken. But more haunting than the image, was that knowledge of why it had all happened. How his own weakness had almost destroyed everything. He was at constant odds with himself, craving comfort, yet repulsed at the idea. It was particularly hard with Kyoko. Whenever she was around, his guilt and darkness seemed to melt away, like dew before the sun. There was such comfort in her presence, a comfort he knew he didn't deserve.

Kuon scratched out a margin in the documents, shifting through the information as he worked automatically. It was time to retreat or go forward with his feelings. This strange limbo was becoming too much to bear. If he was honest with himself, he'd already made his decision. He refused to taint Kyoko's bright aura and happiness with his dark past. He'd resolved to let her go, so why was this so hard? Earlier, when they'd run into each other, all he'd wanted was to talk, for her to laugh the way she did and blow all of his sorrows away, be he couldn't yield. He needed to put what was best for her first.

There was a knock at the door and a messenger entered.

"Your highness." Said the messenger. "Your mother's party has returned, along with the army and their generals. They are mingling in the throne room before retiring to their quarters."

Kuon felt his mood lift, grateful for the distraction from his sobering thoughts. He'd been anxious to see his mother return safely. The roads to and from the capital had become more treacherous in the past weeks.

"Excellent." Said Kuon, standing up. "I'll go see to her now."

The man hesitated before continuing. "Sire, I think you should know. There were some... complications on their way here."

Kuon exchanged a look with his counselor, worry evident on the man's face.

"Complications? What do you mean?"

"Your mother's caravan was attacked just before reaching the city walls."

There was already a cluster of people inside the throne room by the time Kuon arrived, mainly counselors and noble men who wished to welcome the queen and officers home. Kuon walked straight through the crowd, quickly finding his mother within the group. She still wore her travel clothes, most of her golden hair hidden by a cloak and hood. Her face was shining however, as she greeted each person, her good nature unable to be masked even by the fatigue the journey was sure to have caused.

As Kuon approached, she saw him, her already bright blue eyes lighting up in an extra gleam.

"Kuon! My dear boy!"

She grabbed Kuon, pulling him into a tight hug which Kuon returned, a large smile on his face. It had been too long since he had seen his mother in person.

"Mom, I'm so glad to see that you're home, safe and well." He said. "I heard you were attacked close by."

She removed herself from him, huffing as she slapped him on the arm, a wide childlike grin on her face as she teased. "Of course I'm well, don't you know your silly father left me with the best and neglected his own security? When I see that man I'm going to give him a piece of my mind for putting himself in danger."

Kuon chuckled, "He just wished to keep you safe mom. Besides, he had Rosa to protect him. Although, I'm sure he would have left her with you if he could've."

"Probably." Said Julie, folding her arms and nodding to herself. "Then the accursed would have taken him, and I would have been forced to lead this country until Rosa chose a new king. What would have happened then?"

"You'd have done beautifully." Said Kuon.

"Naturally. But I would have died within three months from a broken heart."

She let out a long sigh, some of the people nearby chuckling at her joke. Kuon honestly wouldn't have doubted that scenario playing out that way if something had indeed happened to the king. His parents were that much in love.

Julie tiled her head at him a moment later, eyes studying him. Then she smiled again.

"You look well Kuon."

There was no more teasing in her voice. He saw sincere joy in her expression. Kuon nodded mutely, grimacing slightly.

"I'm better now that you're here." He said, mindful of those around him. Honestly, he didn't want to go into detail about his health with her. Compared to when she left, yes he was doing better. Compared to a week ago before the fiasco with the tournament, not so much.

Julie scoffed at him. "Ah, you've got that flatterers tongue just like your father. It won't do any good to compliment all girls Kuon. You should only say those things to one girl, and that is your future wife. Otherwise she'll get jealous and doubt your fidelity."

"Mom, not all women become easily jealous." Said Kuon. 'Like you' was heavily implied.

"Oh posh!" said Julie, dismissing his rebuttal with a wave of her hand. "All women want to feel special. Any that say otherwise are lying to themselves."

Her gaze shifted beside him as something else caught her attention completely. A look of pure joy stole across her face. Kuon recognized the look and knew his father must have come in. Only Kuu could produce that look of complete adoration from Julie.

The group parted as the queen ran to the king, the latter scooping his wife into his arms as he pulled her into a tight embrace. A few private words were exchanged between them as they basked in their reunion. Several people in the group began to disperse, having said their greetings and realizing they were intruding on the Hizuri reunion. Kuon himself sometimes felt like an outsider when he was in the presence of his parents.

"I'm glad to see you're safe." He heard Kuu say to his wife. "I had heard you were attacked."

"That was the first thing Kuon said as well." Said Julie. "You both worry too much. I was fine thanks to your brother. He saved me from a particularly vindictive undead."

Kuon saw his father's posture stiffen at her words, understanding the full reason for the action.

"Did he really?" said Kuu, looking around. "Speaking of which, where is that brother of mine? Did he get himself eaten by the worms?"

"I think I saw him over there." Said Kuon, glancing around.

Sure enough, he saw his uncle talking to one of Ashuron's generals, no doubt giving a brief report of their journey here. He must have felt their eyes on him as he finished his conversation quickly and made his way over. Julie was still fussing about Kuu's appearance when he arrived, thick boots stomping into attention beside Kuu. The man shared Kuu's tall statue, though he was built bulkier than his younger brother.

"Your majesty, I hope that you are well."

"Masato, brother, stop being so stiff." Said Kuu, disentangling himself from his wife to slap a hand on each of his brother's shoulders. "It's good to see you. I heard you had a rough journey."

Masato gave a large grin. "It was tolerable. Your lovely wife kept everyone's spirits up with her presence."

"That smooth tongue seems to run in the family." said Julie. "No wonder your wife worries while you're away."

"I'm not sure what you mean by that your majesty." Said Masato. "But I hope you'll excuse me; I need to speak with your husband in private."

Kuu's response to this was to take his wife's hand and pull her closer to him. The two of them gave Masato a disapproving look.

"Must you ruin this happy reunion with boring talk of politics?" said Kuu

"Brother, I am glad that you two are still very much in love," said Masato. "but there are somethings more important than your reunion with your wife. You may give her the attention she needs later."

Julie stuck out her tongue at Masato from behind Kuu, who sighed. "Fine, I guess I do owe you for taking care of her. I heard you saved her life."

"I was just fulfilling my duty." Said Masato. "Now let us go to a more private place to speak."

"Yes, yes, of course." Said Kuu, pulling his wife around and giving her a peck on the lips. "I'll be back. Don't fall asleep before I return."

"I'm more likely to die than sleep." She pouted. "Don't you know I only have a few hours left to live? If you don't come back within that time I'll surely haunt you for leaving me to die on my own."

After Kuu promised his wife that he would indeed return within a decent time frame, the two brothers left, walking towards the hall. Julie came over to Kuon, lacing her arm through his and patting it affectionately.

"While those two are away, how about you help me find some of my favorite people?" She said with a wink. "It's been forever since I've seen Shin. I want to see my dear nephew."

"Of course." Said Kuon, leading her out of the room. Before he left, his gaze locked with Masato, who was looking at him and Julie with an unreadable expression. Kuon inclined his head, Masato returning that gesture before turning and walking away with the king.

He couldn't help wondering what they were talking about. He thought he knew, and worried the topic might burden his father with more unease.

"Don't worry Kuon." Said Julie, patting his arm again. "Your father is a big boy. He can look after himself, and he has me there to take care of what he can't."

"That he does." Said Kuon, "Just as long as you don't cook for him, he will stay in excellent health."

"While we're on the subject," said Julie. "I've been meaning to talk to you about this new concubine your father mentioned."

It was useless pointing out to Julie that her statement had nothing to do with the subject they were talking about. Kuon made an effort to keep his expression neutral, knowing that she would be watching for any tells.

"What about her?" said Kuon.

"I'm worried about her." Said Julie, "She seems too good to be true. Saving your life, helping with the accursed. Plus she stole your heart! I can't help but be worried you made her up so I wouldn't bug you about finding a wife." She looked at him like she expected him to confess it was so.

"Let's not start that topic here." Said Kuon, gesturing at the hallway. Thankfully the closest servant was far enough away they couldn't hear their conversation, but one could never be too careful. Mostly it was to get his mom to drop the subject.

"Fine." Said Julie. "But I want to meet her as soon as possible. I can't trust you and Kuu to evaluate her properly."

"I'll make sure to introduce the two of you." Said Kuon, already dreading the occasion. "Just please, don't go too wild on her."

"Now those words just hurt."

Kuu watched from afar, basking in the scene of his wife and son conversing with smiles on their faces. Him and Masato had selected a balcony for their conversation. It had a great view of the gardens and city. His wife had apparently dragged Kuon outside after failing to find who ever she was looking for. The woman blossomed in the company other others. A true extravert, and a caring mother.

Kuu couldn't help smiling at the thought that his family was all together again, whole and happy. Well, happier than they had been in years. The curse on Kuon hadn't just effected his own happiness.

Ever since gaining the crown, Kuu had strove to build a peaceful nation, calming all the wars and territorial disputes with other countries. He wished nothing more than a place where his family, and the families of all his subjects could live peacefully. That was where he found true happiness. His goal had been reached, at least for a time, and he had worked hard to keep it that way. How would the citizens react when they learned they had to go again to war? This time with the kingdom's oldest enemy.

"Sire, we have a problem."

Kuu was brought out of his revere as he turned to his brother, the man's face grim.

"You're going to have to be more specific. I'm not sure to what you are referring to." Said Kuu.

Masato reached inside his robe, holding out a scrap of cloth. Kuu leaned forward, expression darkening. The blue fabric was strained with red, the owl insignia torn and bloodied. He recognized is as part of a uniform worn by the Shimada family.

"This was found by one of our scouts." Said Masato. "As well was what appeared to be the wreckage of a caravan."

"Any survivors?" asked Kuu.

Masato shook his head. "No, and this wasn't the only wreckage we found on the way back."

Kuu took the scrap of cloth, thumb brushing the threads that fashioned the owl. Its majestic wings were broken, torn and bloodied from whatever had cut it asunder.

"This is the emblem of the Shimada family." Said Kuu. "They were supposed to arrive yesterday evening with their champion."

"Then it's as I thought." Said Masato. "The champions are being targeted before they even arrive."

It was inevitable. If the enemy was smart - and they had proved themselves time and again to be so - they would attack their assets before they could mature. Attacking the champions as they traveled would be a simple way to reduce the kingdom's man power in the future, as well as sow uncertainty among the nobility. To counter the possibility, Kuu had sent out decoys, guards and extra men to escort them to the palace. Only Kuu and Lory exclusively knew who was coming and from which direction, the rest of the guards and men being told what information they needed to know and nothing more. Despite their efforts, this was the second champion candidate that had fallen to the enemy.

"This is getting out of hand." Said Masato, bringing Kuu out of his thoughts. "Have you not discovered who the informant is yet? Surely knowing who was ambushed will give us a better idea of who could have leaked that information. I assume you spread out who you gave the information to?"

"I did." Said Kuu. "But it could just as well have been a fluke. Several caravans of innocents have also been attacked. It's getting more and more dangerous to travel through the kingdom every day."

"I'm sorry sire, but thinking like that is a luxury we cannot afford." Said Masato. "Do we know if any other caravans have been hit? We can cross reference the information, find out who knew and who could have leaked it."

"Unless there is more than one informant." Said Kuu. "And it's likely there are many. I doubt the main mole would be so careless as to trip up with something so obvious. Nevertheless, we are in the process of doing what you suggested."

"Good." Said Masato, striding towards the balcony and looking down. Kuu watched as his brother admired the city, gazing down at the town visible beyond the castle. The kingdom they were both trying to protect.

"Your highness." Said Masato. "I do not mean to be insensitive, but have you considered that Dyrus is the informant?"

Kuu hesitated. Dyrus had been one of the first people Lory had investigated. The captain had information that could easily lead to the assassination of the king. It had been especially tricky since he was the captain of the royal guards and his men were of the highest quality, but it was also essential for the same reason.

"We are looking into each possible option." Said Kuu, rubbing his chin in thought. "Though I do not like the idea, I have been forced to consider it."

"And your conclusion?"

"He is clear."

"What about the council members?" said Masato. "The generals, the magistrates, each member of the duke families, the concubines? That new concubine is most suspect of them all. An accursed supposedly gave her their relic? Plus, the amount of the she spends with Kuon is suspicious."

"I doubt that Kyoko is related to the Djinn." Said Kuu, now troubled. If Kyoko was an accursed, then they were doomed. Kuon would not endure through that betrayal. She had completely stolen his heart, although both of them seemed wholly unaware of the fact. Hopefully once Masato got to know the girl he would agree as well to her innocence.

"You doubt? You doubt that she is involved?" Masato shook his head. "No, your heart doesn't want to believe that it is a possibility, so you've ignored all the signs that indicate she could be involved. I wonder if you've even considered that your wife could be with them."

Fury shot through Kuu. His essence cried out in anger, blazing with power as it surged through him. His expression remained composed, but the phoenix fire burned within him. Masato met his glare, eyes somber.

"Your flare up says that you haven't." said Masato, breaking the gaze to heave a sigh, expression becoming somber. "I wonder if you've even considered that I could have betrayed you."

Kuu kept his emotions steady, watching his brother removed himself from the balcony and walk towards the doors.

"You need to keep your personal feelings out of this." Said Masato. "I'm saying this as your brother, and as a prince of this kingdom. You are a good man Kuu. You believe in, and see the good in others. While it makes you a kind king, it will not make you a good general during war. Look at these things objectively and I'm sure the solution will present itself before your eyes."

Kuu's lips twitched. "Unfortunately, what you ask is impossible. Actions are driven by emotions, both good and evil. Denying their existence while attempting to unearth the truth will leave me with less understanding than before."

"If that is what you believe, I doubt I will ever convince you otherwise," said Masato. "We are both stubborn after all."

"That we are brother."

Masato left, Kuu turning back to gaze for a few more minutes over the city. It was becoming darker, the light on the horizon fading. He stayed there, enjoying the occasional breeze as the temperature started to drop. His mind hummed with information, shifting through everything he had learned and perceived tonight.

His heart was greatly troubled by what Masato had said. Was Kuu really letting his emotions blind him to the threats that haunted his kingdom? What if something happened because he had been too hesitant to consider that those he loved could betray him? It was a bitter thought; one he didn't want to consider.

The curtain framing the balcony door ruffled from a nonexistent breeze.

"What did you find out?" said Kuu.

Lory appeared from the shadows, throwing back the hood of his cloak as it shed its cloaking spell. The camouflage melted from the cloth, shrouding Lory in black as it changed to its original color.

"It looks like the Shimada convoy is truly dead." said Lory. "I already have a man examining the site. We should hear back from him tomorrow if he finds anything of note."

"And what did your other man find out?" said Kuu. "The one we set to investigate him?"

Lory hesitated.

"It's almost certain… that your brother is the informant."

Kuu closed his eyes, clenching the fabric in his grasp. He breathed, slowly, deliberately before breathing out. He hadn't wanted to believe it.

"What did your man find that determined this?" said Kuu, eyes still closed.

"Evidence of him conversing with the accursed that was working with the robbers." Said Lory. "I have the details in my office, but it is particularly condemning evidence."

"Do we know why he is working with the Djinn?"

"We don't."

Kuu drummed his fingers on the rails, thinking. It could be a plant. Someone could be purposefully leading Kuu to think that his brother was betraying him, trying to break them from the inside.

"He knew of the Matsunai's location, but not the Shimada's, correct?" said Kuu.

"Yes, but a soldier accidently leaked the information to a mercenary." Said Lory. "We are still looking for the man, but I doubt we will find him. They could have been a plant for anyone."

"And Rosa still doesn't know what to make of him." said Kuu. The phoenix was wary of Masato, being the one to bring a mystery to Kuu's attention four years ago. She had complained that his light magic felt fake, off somehow. Other than that, no malicious aura surrounded him that might have indicated that he fell to the shadows. They at least knew he didn't have a relic, Rosa could identify an accursed on sight because of the dark taint they had in their soul, but something was strange. He just didn't know if it was a personal problem with magic, or if he was involved with the accursed. If Rosa couldn't determine if he was working with the djinn, then how could they be sure?

"Why would you do this Masato?" said Kuu, grieved at his brother's likely betrayal. He just couldn't understand why it would happen. He could take a guess, but it was an unpleasant one.

The succession of the phoenix tended to go from father to son, inheriting the divine right to rule over the people of Ashuron. There had only been a few occurrences in history where Rosa chose either a cousin or someone else, and twice she had actually chosen a female. But generally, the eldest son was chosen. That was not the case in Kuu's circumstance. He, the younger brother had been chosen instead of the eldest to become king.

Kuu still remembered the day when Masato learned that Rosa had not chosen him. Still grieving from the loss of their father in battle, he'd been dealt a second blow, learning that he wasn't chosen as the next king. His fury had been absolute.

It had taken years for his brother's jealousy to calm down, though he always supported Kuu from a political standpoint. He still opposed Kuu occasionally in person and had no problem stating his opinions, but Masato had always wished for the same thing he had: For Ashuron to prosper. He always put the success of the country above everything else, even his feelings of being slighted out of the crown. So why, if he cared so much about the kingdom, would he work with the Djinn to tear it down?

"I guess in the end it doesn't matter." Said Kuu. "The question is what to do from here on out. We can't bring him to trial without solid proof. He has enough supporters that he could escape judgment if we don't have irrefutable evidence. Also, the public and gossip could spin the trial into something that it's not. We'll have to be very careful how we handle this."

"There is also the other option." said Lory, voice low. "It could be done quietly."

"No." said Kuu, not even wanting to consider that possibility. "I will not resort to assassinating my own brother. That could cause just as many problems as it solves. If he truly has betrayed us, I'm sure he had prepared for the possibility and placed defenses on himself. Besides, I wouldn't want that blood on anyone's hands."

"Indeed." Said Lory, bowing his head in gratitude. "I'll continue looking for something we can use against him. In the meantime, it will be important to make sure not to alert Masato to our suspicions. It will be easier to watch and control him if he doesn't know."

"I'm sure he knows." Said Kuu, thinking about their conversation. "Or at least he suspects that we are suspicious." It would be a game as they danced around each other, gauging the others positions until the other slipped up.

"The trick will be keeping up public appearances." continued Kuu with a grimace. "We will still need to keep him marginally informed and have him perform his usual duties. Perhaps, over time we can remove some of those from him."

"That may be the best option." Said Lory. "The worst case scenario is that we are wrong and we focus so much on Masato that the real culprit is allowed to do as they wish under our noses."

A part of Kuu's heart wished it to be true, that his brother had not betrayed him, but another part told him it was a foolish hope. All the signs pointed to Masato. All they lacked was a direct confession. Until Kuu heard that direct confession, he would hold onto the hope that he was mistaken.

Kuu again examined the cloth, imagining the pain and terror the wearer had felt while being slaughtered by the enemy. The torn insignia embodied the death and anguish the Djinn and his followers had already brought upon his people. The citizens he had sworn to protect.

Kuu's hand tightened on the material, dried blood cracking beneath his fingers.

"If you truly have betrayed me brother." whispered Kuu. "No matter your reason, you will receive no mercy from me for what you have done."

Thanks for reading!

And thank you all for your reviews and words of encouragement. My sister and I laughed ourselves silly at some of them.

Guys… I love Julie. I think you can see where Shin gets some of it. (…that's an odd comment Blushweaver, as Shin and Julie are not related…)XD

Speaking of which. Image update: Kuu and Julie. Check profile for link. (It's purdy)

Lots of things to set up in this arc. If you're perplexed, I'm doing my job right. If you are completely lost and have no idea what is going on… then maybe not. (If you know exactly what's going on… you're doing better than me)

Do not worry my friends. Thanks to some amazing words of encouragement and heaps of chocolate, I have since banished the crazy notion of taking down my account from my mind. My true purpose in telling you all was to show you that anyone can feel disheartened about their story and that we shouldn't let the few negative things destroy the chance of enjoying many wonderful things. J(Can you tell am I'm an optimist?) (No)

No worries A.K. I'm super excited to see them when you do get your account up!

Also, iamKnetti, you can do it! It is scary posting your first story on FF, but it gets better with every post. I remember when I posted High Speed Dating. (My first FF) I was so scared that I almost didn't press the submit button thinking: "No one will read this, it's such a dumb idea, but I'm going to do it and pray I get at least one review." So to all those too scared to post anything (don't hide, I know a few of you have said this to me in reviews and PM's), you can do it! I would be delighted to read it, review it, and/or give tips. PM me when you post a story!

-Blushweaver

I have read and edited this chapter. Hope ya like it.

-Imouto