If there was a spell that could reverse time, Kyoko would use it now. Oh, why did she have to go and open her mouth? She just prayed Kuon hadn't heard what she's been spouting a few seconds ago. Based on his quizzical expression, it looked like he hadn't. Thank goodness.

"Uh, h-hi." Said Kyoko, raising a stiff arm. "Imagine seeing you here."

"This is the door to my room." Said Kuon patiently. "Are you lost?"

"N-no actually. I um, wanted to see you."

Yukihito's eyebrows shot up, a curious reaction in Kyoko's opinion. Kuon didn't react, his face impassive as he took a second to consider. Then he turned to his counselor.

"Will you take these back to my study for me?" he said, handing Yukihito a ledger. The man eagerly took it, a large goofy grin on his face as he happily agreed to do so. It was rather out of character of him. Maybe he was tired.

"Bye Kyoko, see you later." called Yukihito over his shoulder, still sporting that strange grin as he skipped away.

Kyoko just stared.

"Is there something wrong with him?" she asked.

"Sometimes I wonder." Said Kuon, humor in his voice. "Let's go inside."

Kuon opened his door and Kyoko hurried inside, her guard waiting in the hall. It wasn't until the door shut that she realized this was the first time she had even been in his room before.

There was the biggest bed Kyoko had ever seen in the middle of the room. It was draped with silk curtains in orange and white leaving a sort of fiery impression. In the corner was a desk and chair that looked better used than the bed. It was sturdy but elegant at the same time. Kyoko wondered where they'd gotten that kind of wood, it didn't look like anything she'd seen before. It was such a dark color. Apart from the bed and desk, there wasn't much furniture, there were decorative pots and feathers that looked like they cost more than Kyoko had earned in her entire life.

As she did a final turn of the room, she realized Kuon was watching her.

"Sorry." She said it out of reflex.

"Don't worry about it." Said Kuon, a twinkling is his eye. He was laughing at her! Internally maybe, but her turn in his room had amused him. What a strange man. He was still near the doorway, not having moved far into to the room, arms crossed.

"You said you wanted to see me." he said.

"I did. Do. I was actually wondering…"

She trailed off, tilting her head at him. Something… was off. Kuon looked tired, like he always did recently, but there was something else as well. Something dark clinging to him, an extra covering that dimmed the light around him.

"Are you alright?"

Kuon appeared surprised. "You came all the way here to see if I was alright?"

"No." said Kyoko quickly. "I came to get your help, but I was just wondering. Because you look…" even worse than when she had seen him in the gardens. The distress had been obvious then, something heavy resting on his heart. But this new layer of darkness concerned her more. She couldn't help wondering if his curse was acting up again.

Kuon's eyes tailed something beside her before they snapped back to Kyoko. It was subtle, but there was a hint of alarm in his face, so small she almost imagined it.

"Prince Kuon?"

There was silence, neither of them speaking, just staring at each other. Kuon's face was guarded, Kyoko's own full of worry. Despite the obvious mask, she couldn't break from the gaze, drawn, waiting.

Then he finally caved.

"You're right." Said Kuon. "Like always, but it is not a new topic. I have a lot on my mind."

"You've heard the rumors then?"

"Not to my face of course, but everyone knows about the curse now."

"Is that the only thing bothering you?" said Kyoko. Then she kicked herself for probably the tenth time that night. She wasn't supposed to be getting closer to Kuon. She didn't want her feelings to influence her anymore!

"Never mind, forget I said anything." She said quickly. "It's not my business. You're probably sick of hearing me worry about you."

Kuon let out a deep chuckle, finally moving from the door. He walked to his desk, taking off his rings and bracelets to setting them down.

"I actually find comfort in it." Said Kuon, removing his cloak and setting it on the back of his chair. Then he turned, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise at seeing her expression.

"What's that face for?"

Kyoko was giving him an ugly look of disgust. "Prince Kuon, are you sadistic? Finding comfort in my pain. I'm disappointed in you."

"What? No." said Kuon. "I'm saying that I'm glad you care."

"Oh, well of course. You're the crown prince of Ashuron. Someone has to worry about your health since you don't take care of it."

"You sound like my mother." Said Kuon, another smile tugging on his lips. "Have you been able to have another dinner with her?"

"Not yet."

Not from the queen's lack of trying. It was both flattering and intimidating that the queen was so insistent on having another dinner with her. Every time Julie passed Kyoko in the halls, they would end up conversing, if only for a short time. Kyoko never initiated conversation, as she didn't want to disturb Julie, but it seemed like every time they met she would come over to talk. It honestly had surprised her. She couldn't understand this strange attention towards her.

"Between my classes, working in the clinic, and her duties as the queen we can't get a time we're both free." She continued. "She often gripes about you and the king not coming to dinner as well."

"We've both been busy."

That was evident by him getting back to his room so late. Judging by the ledgers he'd been carrying with Yukihito, he'd planned to spend some more time working before going to bed. Kyoko felt her heart sink as she realized she was impeaching on the small amount of time he had to rest.

"I guess I should let you get some sleep then." Said Kyoko, giving a quick curtsy, and backing out of the room quickly. She had just opened the door a crack when a hand slammed against it, shutting it with a snap. Kyoko froze, aware of the person standing just behind her.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Kyoko could practically feel the sparkles rolling off of him. The sugary words made her hair stand on end. What had she done this time? Why was he angry at her?

"This... situation feels awfully familiar." muttered Kyoko.

"It does." Said Kuon. "You seem to have a bad habit of running away from me."

"And you have a bad habit of bullying me."

She squirmed, slowly turning to meet his brilliantly smiling face, just as irritated as she imagined. Which made no sense. Maybe he was angry she had disturbed him for no reason? Either way, she crossed her arms in the small space between them, defending herself against his irritation. He still had his hand on the door, leaning slightly over her.

"Kyoko." Said Kuon, still sparkling. "Why did you come to my room tonight?"

"No reason." Said Kyoko

"Really?" an interesting glint entered his eyes. "Because when a woman comes to a man's room late at night, there's usually only one reason, especially if she's a concubine."

It clicked.

Kyoko's cheeks burst into flame, completely mortified. He thought that- oh gosh! How shameless could she get? That was why the guard had known where she was going, and why Yukihito had given them weird looks. Gods she wanted to die.

"I- t-that's not what-ngh!" in her haste to answer him she bit her tongue. She clamped a hand to her mouth, wincing in pain.

"Then why are you here?" said Kuon.

"I wanted to get your help on my magic." She sputtered, removing her hand from her mouth. "I've been having problems with the new circle and I can't figure it out and I think I have an idea but I'm not sure how to do it and I needed your help because no one else seems to understand this new circle!"

She had to take a second to catch her breath, having used it all speaking as quickly as possible. Her face still felt warm from humiliation, and her tongue hurt quite a bit. Kuon grinned at her, finally backing off and walking back to the center of the room.

"Now that wasn't so hard now was it?" he said.

Bully!

Kuon motioned her to follow him, which she did begrudgingly. They walked to the back of the room where another door led to an adjoining lounge. This one had cushions and tables for casual conversation. Kuon motioned for her to sit down, which she did as he browsed through different papers and books.

"I remember Hirotaka talking to me about this new circle you're using. I think he called it the arcane igniter." Said Kuon. "Seemed upset that someone else had come up with the idea before he had. Here it is."

Kuon walked over, took a seat by Kyoko and opened the book. Kyoko peered over his shoulder. There were a few diagrams for different runes and circles, the print tiny so as to cram as much into each passage as possible.

Kuon took a few minutes reading over the research, every now and then making a comment. Kyoko kept quiet, waiting for him to finish skimming.

"This is a mess." Said Kuon, leafing to the beginning of the ledger. "It's a very complex spell, and the things they've done to try and accommodate everyone is incredible. It still has a lot of problems to work out."

"Like why I can't seem to use it." Said Kyoko.

Kuon looked at her, eyebrows creasing.

"What I want to know is why they have having you, a complete novice when it comes to the intricacies of magic, use this spell. Do you know the basic theory of ignition?"

"Maybe?"

Kuon stood up again, retrieving another book before returning to his seat.

"Then let's go over the basics at least." He said. "You normally shouldn't have to deal with this, but you have a habit of breaking the norm."

Kyoko couldn't help smiling. She was interrupting his sleep, but he was still taking the time to help her out, even teach her things she should have already understood. Thought she still felt bad for keeping him up, she really did need help.

"Thank you Prince Kuon for helping me." She said, hoping to convey her gratitude.

He responded with his own smile. "I did tell you to seek me out if you ever needed help. It's taken you this long to take up my offer, and I'm sure you exhausted all your other resources before coming."

Kyoko gave a weak laugh. He knew her well.

"I'll be doing a major crash course." He said, opening the new book. "I'll be simplifying lots of things, but you should still get the general idea. First, do you know what the three different types of magic are?"

"Of course! Light, Dark and Arcane."

"Do you know the three main ways to channel these?"

Kyoko put a finger to her lips in thought. "Well... there's pulse, which doesn't use any tool to direct the magic other than the spell caster. It's completely up to their interpretation and some are better than others at controlling it."

"That's right." Said Kuon. "Many people actually confuse pulse magic with arcane magic, since most just say pulse."

Kyoko nodded, remembering when she had first misunderstood that term.

"Then there's also runes." Said Kyoko. "These are individual symbols that produce a different effect. When combined in certain orders, they can create even a variety of functions. If there are enough in a combination, they can become a rune circle."

"Which is the last form of magic." Said Kuon. "Magic circles are a combination of different rune orders, or chambers. It gets much more complicated, but in simple terms, the more circles you have in a single spell, the harder it is to program. Depending on its function, it can be easier or harder to use the circle installed into an item. Take this lamp for example."

Kuon motioned towards the lamp on the wall, a soft flame flickering light on the walls.

"The circle installed in it is designed so that anyone can use it." Said Kuon. "All one has to do it press the switch and it turns on and off. The circles inside do all of the hard configuring to produce the desired effect."

"You know." Said Kyoko, eyeing the prince. "You somehow made that a lot easier to understand then all the books I've read."

"That's because most aren't meant to be read alone." Said Kuon. "You're supposed to have a teacher helping alongside you."

Which was what she had been hoping the cleric classes would have been like. Instead they had jumped right into the healing aspect, addressing novice level subjects. Overall, the classes had been insultingly easy, save for this one spell she couldn't use.

"So you have the three forms of magic." Said Kuon, doing a quick review. "Light, dark and arcane magic. Each has their own distinct feel to them with pulse magic, and each have their own set of runes. Just mastering one can take a life time."

"So then, how am I supposed to use light magic using arcane circles?" said Kyoko, seeing the problem. She couldn't manipulate or use light magic because she didn't have that natural affinity towards it.

"Because of this."

Kuon pointed to the book. Inside was a single ring of runes, lines crisscrossing and forming groups to create a complex circle.

"This circle uses a new rune that was only recently discovered, called the conversion rune." Continued Kuon. "When used together in combination with other runes, it allows you to activate and manipulate a magic circle made out of light runes."

Kyoko stared at the circle, recognizing it from all of the tools she had been using.

"Wait a second." Said Kyoko frowning. "those aren't the only arcane circles installed in the medical tools. There are other ones."

"Those are the spells that are normally installed in the item." Said Kuon. "With the arcane ignition circle, it substitutes everything you do with the arcane magic circles and translate it into light magic."

Kyoko groaned.

"This is why it's been such a problem." Said Kyoko. "There is too much going on. I don't use arcane circles normally when I use magic. I just use pulse most of the time. It's like putting a brush on the end of ten foot stick and telling me to paint. Just give me the brush and I'll do it myself!"

"That... might actually be your problem." Said Kuon, eyes widening. He put a hand to his chin, thinking. "You have problems activating circles because you've learned to wield magic unhindered by their restrictions, using only your arcane pulse magic. If we were to get rid of the other circle- the stick as you put it- give you a glove instead and you should be good. Do you have a tool with the ignition spell with you?"

Kyoko reached inside of her bag, pulling out a clamp for sealing wounds. Kuon took it, swiping the air upwards above it. The clamp shone in a faint light, small symbols of light blossoming from the inside of the core. Intricate runes and circles spread into the air above it, showing the spell programed within. Kyoko's eyes widened as she watched, fascinated.

"It will be a lot to learn in one night." Said Kuon, studying the runes. "Are you ready?"

Kyoko responded with a confident smile, the challenge making her burn with excitement.

Kuon woke to the soft rapping of knuckles on wood. He yawned, siting up in his chair and wincing as his neck gave a short spasm. It was stiff from sleeping in such a strange position. He quickly made his way to the door, passing a still sleeping figure on his bed.

Opening the door revealed Yukihito, awake and dressed for the day.

"Good morning your highness." He said, "Your morning appointment starts in thirty minutes. I thought I'd come and see if you want me to cancel it to let you sleep in."

"No, it's fine." Said Kuon, motioning the man inside. "It's just a review of the barracks supplies. Pretty standard. Those men know what they're doing."

"I imagine that there will be some new changes." Said Yukihito, walking into the room. "After all with the increase in-" he stopped short.

Yukihito was staring, eyes and mouth open wide. What had made his counselor stop? Kuon followed the line of sight, noticing it was on fixed on the bed. Specifically, a mess of short black hair just sticking out of the top of the sheets.

"Kuon." Said Yukihito, voice low and disbelieving. "Did you finally-"

"I slept on the chair." cut in Kuon, motioning to his 'bed' for the previous night. "Please keep your mind on the task at hand."

"But!" said Yukihito. The man pointed at Kyoko, head jerking towards her as well. His eyebrows were raised, silently asking: How can you ask me to ignore that you have Kyoko in your bed?!

"Why are you surprised?" said Kuon. "You saw her come in last night. And keep your voice down, you might wake her. We only went to bed a few hours ago."

Several different exaggerated emotions had crossed Yukihito's face, the last one spreading into a wide smile. Kuon wanted to run his hand over his face. His counselor had long been suspicious of Kuon's feelings for Kyoko, even before he had noticed them. He had also encouraged Kuon at every opportunity he could, dropping not so subtle hints and encouraging Kuon to spend more time with her. Frankly, it was annoying.

Kuon hadn't bothered telling Yukihito he had been right. Kuon was in love with her. He doubted the knowledge would have changed anything in Yukihito's behavior.

"Wait a moment." Said Yukihito. "If you only got to bed a few hours ago, you must be exhausted. I'll go cancel your meetings."

"No, it's fine." Said Kuon, being truthful. "I'm well rested."

He had slept well, despite his uncomfortable position. Better, actually, then he had in days. The specter had been turning up not only in everyday life, but also in his dreams. It had been draining him slowly, the thing sometimes following him for hours during the day, whispering dark words. But in Kyoko's presence, it had disappeared, as if fleeing from her. It had translated into his sleep, giving him a blissful, much needed rest. She truly was his light.

Too bad he couldn't invite her to his bed chamber every night. Well, he could, but he knew that would be a bad idea for many reasons.

"If you say so." Said Yukihito, still eying him cautiously. "What were you two doing anyway? It's not like Kyoko to come to you in the middle of the night. Maybe another concubine… but not her."

"We were working on her magic studies." Said Kuon. "She was having trouble with the arcane ignition circle."

Kyoko shifted in the sheets, rolling over to the other side to reveal her face. The two men fell silent, watching, wondering if she would wake. She didn't, her face peaceful with a small smile on her lips.

"I heard from Kanae she's been having trouble." Said Yukihito quietly. "do you think she'll be alright?"

"She'll be fine." Said Kuon, his heart swelling in pride and admiration thinking back to the girl's leaning speed. He hadn't been lenient last night, taking her tirelessly through their lesson. She'd matched his enthusiasm and more, inducing Kuon to push her further.

"You'll see." He said, the grin in his voice. "We'll wake her in a bit and show you something amazing."

It was early morning, Chris siting at his desk as he wrote. The words were pressed hard into the parchment, poking holes through the flimsy paper. They held his deepest secrets, regrets, and fears.

But more than anything, they held his anger.

All the anger and emotions he couldn't express while out there. Doing his job. Living his daily life. All the pent up frustrations that had no escape bled through his ink and quill. It was what kept him sane.

On the desk, his circular communicator suddenly lit up. Chris paused, picking up the item before snarling and setting it back down. He finished his last entry before closing the ledger, whispering a spell to seal it against anyone but him reading it. He shoved it inside his desk before grabbing his bag and leaving his room.

Thanks to his dad's job, he lived in the palace. It was both a blessing and a detriment. Helpful because he didn't have to commute every day for work and study, but also a constant reminder of what he was supposed to be aspiring to be.

Chris passed a few guards and workers, nodding in greeting as he passed. Most of them recognized him of course. Most idolized his family. Stupid fools. Didn't they realize that everything came with a price?

Finally, there was one guard that didn't nod back. One that didn't look at him with respect. Instead, they surveyed him, impatient in front of a room. He had a long face and eyelashes that gave him a more feminine appearance. Once the guard saw Chris, they turned and walked into the vacant room. Chris followed, shutting the door.

The room was a normal sitting area, cushions, tables and other luxuries decorating the spacious area. It was dark and quiet, the one lamp casting a dark shadow of the guard across the floor.

"You're late." Said the guard, Miroku was his name.

"You sent me a summons only ten minutes ago." Said Chris. "Excuse me for not being able to transport instantaneously. We lost that ability with Reino."

Judging by Miroku's narrowed eyes, he hadn't appreciated the comment. "You know you're supposed to report back each week." He said.

"What's the point if there's nothing to report?" said Chris, rolling his eyes. "Hirotaka's study is still guarded tightly, the place teaming with spell and men. Nothing's changed. We'll need a man on the inside to get in."

"Which was supposed to be you." Said the man calmly. "But you got pulled into doing some worthless cleric studies."

"I had no say in that matter." Said Chris. "If I want to keep up appearances, I need to actually look like I want to be a royal guard. It would be the logical step for me to take."

"The master won't be happy with this." said Miroku, his lazy stance giving him the appearance of not caring. "And he had such high hopes for your Chris, but all you've done lately is disappoint."

Chris ground his teeth, irritated that a mere gofer dared to sneer at him. Miroku seriously needed to learn his place in the hierarchy.

"If I had some more information, I could actually do my job." Said Chris. "I want to speak to an accursed. Someone who actually works with the great Djinn." 'Someone other than you' was heavily implied.

To his irritation, Miroku just gave a deep chuckle.

"Still have great dreams of becoming an accursed?" mocked Miroku. "You think that the master will reward you with a relic if you help us steal them back? You're foolish for thinking so."

"No." said Chris. "I have no desire for a hand-me-down. I want true power, from the Dark Djinn. I want to be like Him"

Miroku's laughter faded, instead turning to mild irritation.

"You don't have it in you, little boy." Said Miroku, his irritation a low hum that decorated the background, making Chris's hairs stand on end. He held his gaze however, eyes locked with Miroku.

Eventually Chris broke the gaze, clicking his tongue in irritation.

"I have nothing to report." Said Chris, turning and heading for the door. "Tell your master I can't do the impossible. That's the job of the accursed, not mine."

He shoved the door open, stomping away from the room.

Chris always hated those meetings. They left such a bad taste in his mouth, stomach boiling in anger and irritation at the whole thing. The idiots he dealt with, the situation, and with himself, that he couldn't get closer to the Djinn and accursed. Why did he keep failing?

A few corridors down, Chris stepped behind a pillar, checking to see if he was followed. He waited for a minute, making sure the area was truly deserted before pressing a hand against the wall. It slid away, revealing a secret passage which he promptly entered.

He walked through the space, just big enough to fit a single person. He took a few turns, before opening another panel and stepping into a new room. This one was crowded with different book shelves and junk, cluttered with all sorts of plants and medicine. The owner of said office was standing by a tall brown plant, lopping off some leaves with a trimmer.

"Ah, Chris. So how did it go this week?" said Lory, barely glancing at Chris.

"No change." muttered Chris, folding his arms. "They won't give me anything until I give them something in return. This new spy is starting to tick me off! Why did we have to kill the last one again?"

"Because of the ceremony, remember?" Said Lory. "Too obvious for me not to notice they were a spy."

Chris grumbled, having meant only to complain.

"Do you think you can get closer without it?" said Lory. "I'd hate to give up anything more than what they already know. Surely the accursed would be more than glad to welcome more into their presence."

That had been their thought at the beginning. Get Chris close and learn more about the accursed and how the relics worked. All under the pretense that Chris wanted to become an accursed and selling out information on palace defenses in exchange. Chris knew how to flatter his way with nobles and some thieves, but he was still learning when it came to scum like the dark followers. Not that he had a winning personality in the first place. Maybe the problem was that they were too similar.

"I can continue to try." Said Chris. "But honestly, I've never been good at making people trust me."

"There was one person that trusted you." Said Lory.

Chris tensed, eyes widening in anger. He kept his voice carefully level to cover up his irritation as he answered.

"Yes, and it cost them their life."

Lory waved away the comment, taking the bundle of lopped off stems and carefully wrapping them in a cloth.

"This isn't related to your job." He said. "But how is Kyoko doing in her studies? In your opinion?"

That was an abrupt change in topic. Chris resisted rolling his eyes, instead thinking of the worthless girl. Just watching her struggle each day made his insides seethe. He wanted nothing more than to tear off his mask and show Kyoko exactly why she was such a fool for thinking she could break the social norm and become a cleric. He smirked as he imagined the look on her face. What a naive child she was.

"In my opinion?" said Chris. "She's wasting her time. No one is accepting her, and she doesn't have any talent. It would be better for her to just quit while she's ahead."

"Is that so?" said Lory, looking disappointed. "That's too bad. I would have thought you of all people would understand her situation."

"I do, which is exactly why I find her struggle so pathetic."

"What about your sister? Wouldn't she have sympathized with Kyoko?"

So he was back to that topic. This time Chris didn't bother masking the anger in his voice.

"Chiori is dead." Said Chris. "And so are her ideals."

"Only because you allow them to be." Said Lory, giving him a pitiful look. "I thought Kyoko might have been a good influence on you, but it looks like I was wrong."

"You were." Said Chris firmly. "If you'll excuse me, I don't want to be late to my lessons."

"Of course."

Chris left the way he had come, quietly exiting the secret corridor and marching back to his room.

Just when he had thought the day couldn't get more frustrating. First the obnoxious guard, and now Lory bringing that up again. Just thinking about it made Chris's hand sweat, body shaking. It had been years and he still had such anxiety with everything related to that day.

And Kyoko brought this feeling in him every time he saw her. With each beating she took, and every failure, he saw the past. He saw all his mistakes, and it made him furious. Furious that nothing he could do would change anything, past or present. Things were the way they were, and fighting against them was futile.

If there was any consolidation to be found in the whole situation, it was that he had planted the seeds to get her thrown out. Kyoko wouldn't be in the class for very much longer. Today she would fail, and the idiot teacher was sure to throw her out. Lory might not be happy, but Chris didn't care. He just wanted to stop remembering every time he saw her. He wanted to forget all his regret and move on. He wanted Kyoko to fail, just like she had.

Thanks for reading!

And thank you all for your reviews! I hope I was able to answer everyone questions in PM's and such. Sorry if I missed you! Sometimes I can't tell if you're making an observation or actually asking a question. Woops. Ya'll are cute. Alright I'll stop talking.

Next chapter in two weeks. My profile will have any changes if something happens.

-Blushweaver

Hehehe poor Kuon. Kyoko likes to tease him with her innocent thoughtlessness.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

-Imouto