Kayami was up earlier than normal the next day, the only people that were up was the servants as they got the palace ready for a new day. They ignored her as she walked by, not out of rudeness but this wasn't the first time she had done it and they knew where she was heading this early in the morning.

She left the palace and headed towards a secluded area of the forest around the city, arriving at the place that she had made for the former First and Second Imperial Princes. She had made a small version of a temple that her clan uses to honor their dead and inside was a metal container that had oil and a wick in the center. Outside the temple was a candle which she used to light the wick and a soothing scent soon wafted up from the oil.

Kayami clapped her hands before she bowed her head and closed her eyes as she prayed for the souls of the Princes, when she was done she clapped again and raised her head opening her eyes. She looked up at the sky to watch the clouds float by as she leaned against the rock that the shrine was on top of.

She wasn't really watching the clouds, she was in deep in her memories of the two Princes and how she meet with their siblings...

Kayami was exploring the garden inside the main area of the palace, she had been brought there by Kaisei who didn't want to leave the girl alone for unknown hours since he had a meeting with the Emperor. So here she was exploring the garden while he had his meeting with the Emperor, bored and lonely.

Swish Whack

She stopped walking when she hears a familiar sound, it sounded like a wooden practice sword hitting a dummy...something she herself was doing under the guidance of Kaisei. Kayami switched directions and headed over to where the sound was coming from. She peeked around the corner and saw a young boy standing in front of a practice dummy. Kayami watched his form carefully as he strikes the dummy again before she left her hiding place and walked over to him.

"You're holding it too loosely." Kayami said causing the young boy to jerk in surprise and spin towards her.

"Who are you?!" He asked.

He looked familiar to her...why did she have a feeling that she had seen him before? She mentally shrugged that question away to instead answer his question, "Oh, sorry...I'm Kayami Kishii, I'm a guest from the Ki Empire. What's your name?"

"Hakuryuu Ren." the little boy said shyly.

Oh, that must mean he's their younger brother.

"It's nice to meet you, Hakuryuu." Kayami said with a smile as she gets closer to him.

He smiled at her before he appeared to remember something, "Oh! What did you mean by 'holding it loosely'?"

"Well, if you want to leave visible strikes on that dummy you have to hold it like this, not loosely," Kayami said as she showed him how to hold it, it was tight but not too tight. "The sword is supposed to be an extension of your arm, don't treat it like a sword."

"Okay!" Hakuryuu said as he eagerly listened to Kayami.

Kayami chuckled and patted his head, smiling.

"Oh? Whose your new friend, Hakuryuu?"

Kayami looked up when she heard a new voice, a girl's, and sees a girl who appeared older than her...and she looked to be Hakuryuu's older sister.

"Hakuei!" Hakuryuu ran over to her and hugged her. Yep, she's his older sister alright Kayami could see it in how he acts and that they share similar traits. "This is Kayami! She's showing me how to use to a sword properly!" It was more like showing him how to hold a sword but she wasn't going to correct him, he seemed to be happy that there was someone showing him how to use a sword.

"I see...where's Hakuren? I thought he was supposed to teach you?"

"I looked for him but I couldn't find him, Hakuei."

"Sorry, we're late!" A voice said from behind them and all three turned their heads to see who it was. Hakuyuu and Hakuren were walking towards them, it was Hakuren who had spoken.

Hakuyuu was the first one to notice the girl who was standing with his younger siblings, "Ah, so we meet again, Princess Kayami."

"You're a princess, Yami?!" Hakuryuu said as he looked up at Kayami with wide eye wonder and amazement.

'Yami'? Pfft, so cute~ Kayami thought with a inner smile.

Out loud though, she nodded her head and said, "Yeah, I'm a Princess...like your older sister."

"More like a Warrior Princess." Hakuren said with a big smile as he patted her head, ruffling her hair.

Kayami playfully huffed at him and pushed his hand off her head, which he pouted and whined how the cute little girl didn't want his affection.

"So what are you doing here?" Hakuyuu asked ignoring his brother and his antics.

"I was exploring while I wait for Kaisei to finish his meeting with the Emperor," Kayami explained. "I heard Hakuryuu practicing so I came over and watched him...then I showed him some pointers on how to hold a sword."

"I see...and who taught you how hold a sword? Lord Kaisei?" Hakuyuu asked.

"Nope, it was my older brother who first taught me." Kayami said with a grin.

"You have a big brother?" Hakuren asked.

Kayami nodded her head as she picked up another wooden sword, showing Hakuryuu how to hold it again. "Yep~ He's older than me...now that I think about it, he's the same age as that Kouen boy..." She trailed off thoughtfully as she thought about her older brother, Kayato Kishii...who was their father's favorite and heir to the Ki throne.

"Isn't it Ki tradition that when a soon-to-be-ally comes seeking an alliance that the eldest child of the Ki ruling family to be sent to live with the future ally?" Hakuyuu asked as he watched her interaction with his younger brother, Hakuei was standing next to him smiling.

"Mmhmm but he's the favorite so I was sent instead," Kayami said matter of fact. "No one will care what happens to me...expect for my older brother and mother...auntie too!"

She felt a heavy weight on top of her head and looked up into the smiling fact of Hakuyuu, his smile was kind as he stroked her hair gently.

"I'm sure that your father loves you just as much, Princess Kayami." Hakuyuu said.

Kayami gave him a doubtful look but she doesn't correct him, the First Imperial Prince noticed this and then asked her a question that would later change her life and make her into a skilled warrior.

"Do you have something to protect?"

"Something to Protect'?"

"That's right...for me, it's my family and the Kou Empire...same with our father and Hakuren." Hakuyuu explained as Kayami stared up at him. "So what is it that you protect?"

Kayami just stared at him as she tried to understand what he was asking her, when she got older she would immediately know the answer to his question but right now as a child she didn't understand and it showed on her face.

Hakuyuu smiled and pulled his hand away, "You will understand that question when the time comes...so for now let's continue the training, okay?"

"Okay!" Kayami and Hakuryuu chorused together, throwing their fists in the air. Both young ones stopped when they noticed this and looked at each other before laughing, the three older ones laughed as well.

So Kayami spent the remaining waiting time with black haired Ren siblings until Kaisei came looking for her and eventually found his wayward student and Princess by following the sound of laughter.

Kayami smiled at the memory even though she still hasn't figured out what she wanted to protect, was it the people of the Kou Empire? Or the Kou Empire itself? She didn't know and she wished for the hundredth time that Hakuyuu and Hakuren were still alive so that they would help her.

Then another memory surfaces but this time, she was with a certain red haired prince who was now a stoic person...

Kouen was walking in the corridor in the main area of the palace but he wasn't alone, walking a respectful few behind him was Kayami, the First Imperial Princess of the Ki Empire and political hostage of the Kou Empire...though the Emperor always referred to her as his honored guest but Kouen had seen how the other nobles treat her and it didn't look like how one would treat a guest, he has a feeling that the Emperor doesn't know about their treatment of her.

He stopped suddenly and she, since she was looking at her feet, crashed right into him but she quickly jerked back and apologized quickly to him, bowing deeply. Even though she knew that he was the eldest son of the Emperor's brother, she still treated him as if it was his father was the Emperor and not his uncle.

"It's okay, you didn't harm me." Kouen said as he waved her apologies away.

Kayami straightened and smiled up at him, "Good!"

Kouen was surprised by how quickly she seemed to change moods.

"And you don't have to be so formal with me either," Kouen said. "I thought I told you this already..."

"Erm...you did, sorry." Kayami said rubbing the back of his head, sheepishly.

Kouen sighed heavily and started to walk again, "Come on, let's go somewhere more private."

"Okay."

Kayami followed after Kouen as he led her away from the noisy place for somewhere more quiet. They soon arrived in a small outside enclave were a small table with two chairs where already placed there, Kayami sat down when he motioned for her to sit as he then motioned to two maids for tea.

The maids poured two cups of tea before they walked off, bowing but Kayami knew that they wouldn't go too far.

"Thank you," Kayami whispered as she took the cup and sipped the hot liquid. "Mm! Good!" She giggled and smiled.

Kouen smiled but faintly though so Kayami couldn't really tell if she saw him smile or not.

"You can talk normally now, there isn't anyone around to get after you if you talk casually with me." Kouen said.

Kayami looked at him with wide eyes before she does a closed eye smile and nodded her head, "Okay!" So that's why he had brought her here, somehow he realized that she was struggling with the new formal way of speaking that she had been told to use when addressing the Imperial family.

She looked out at the garden and smiled as she placed her cup down, "Thank you, En, for bring me out here!"

"En'?"

"Yep! Figured that since I called the rest of your siblings and your cousins nicknames that I should give you one too!" Kayami said with a smile then she got upset. "Why? You don't like it?" Kouen literally swore that he saw dog ears and a tail appear on her, when she was happy during the first part of her sentence they were perked up and wagging but as soon as she asked that, they drooped and her eyes became wet and shiny with unshed tears as if he kicked her.

"No...it's fine," Kouen said.

"Yay!" She beamed and clapped her hands.

Is she a dog? Her moods sure change like a dog's would, Kouen thought as he watched her. One minute she was happy and smiling and in the next she was sad and frowning, how Kaisei put up with her mood swings was amazing and that man deserved to get a medal for it.

"Oh? What's this? Kouen and Princess Kayami spending time together?"

Both youngsters looked up when they heard a familiar voice, both of their reactions were different when they saw that it was the First Imperial Prince and Second Imperial Prince, Hakuyuu and Hakuren. Kouen's was to stand and bow formally to them while Kayami on the other hand took on a more casual approach which was to run up to them and hug them.

"Haku! Yuu!"

"Aww! So cute~!" Hakuren hugged her and rubbed his cheek against hers, causing her to laugh loudly at that.

Hakuyuu smiled at Kayami before he looked over at Kouen, "Hello, cousin."

"Hello, Prince Hakuyuu."

"Heeey, En...why are you speaking so formally now? I don't think they'll mind if you addressed them casually~" Kayami said with a smile as Hakuren put her down and she trotted over to Kouen.

"It's different!"

"No, it's not~it's the same! Besides isn't that hypocritical? Since you told me to address people normally in private but yet you're doing the exact opposite."

Smack

"Ow! That hurt!" Kayami placed her hands on top of her head, where Kouen had smacked her. She could feel the lump beginning to form under her hands as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Kouen...you don't hit girls," Hakuyuu said as he kneeled down next to Kayami and gently patted her head. "You must protect them, not bully them."

Hakuren nodded his head in agreement and gently pushed Kouen towards Kayami, "Yeah, you need to apologize."

Kouen looked at Kayami and bowed, "Sorry for hitting you."

Kayami stared at him in silence before she surprised him by hugging him around the neck, "It's okay! I forgive you! Besides I shouldn't have said that, it was rude so I'm sorry too!"

Hakuyuu and Hakuren watched them in silence, smiling before Hakuren got an idea to prevent future scenes like this one from happening.

"Hey, Kayami?"

"Hm?" Kayami looked at Hakuren as she released a flustered Kouen.

"Do you know why some boys will bully and hit girls when they are your age or Kouen's age?"

"No...why?"

Kouen had a bad feeling when he saw Hakuren's smile but he didn't know why.

"Because boys are terrible as expressing their true emotions when it comes to cute little girls so they bully and hit the girls they like~."

"Really?!" Kayami stared up at Hakuren in wide eye wonder before she looked over at Kouen who jerked in surprise. "Yay! I knew En liked me!" She hugged Kouen again, smiling. Then she pouted up at him, "But you really need to find another way to express yourself..."

Kouen sighed and said, "Okay..."

Kayami smiled widely and released him before she trotted over to the two older Princes and hugged them again, "Thank you, Haku! Yuu!"

Hakuyuu smiled and gently patted her head, "You're very welcome, Princess Kayami...we have to go now so have fun."

"Yeah and be nice to her, Kouen...it's the boys job to protect girls!" Hakuren said before he and his older brother walk off.

Kouen and Kayami sat back down after waving to them and after they no longer could see them.

"Hey, Kouen?"

"Hm?"

"Can we do this again tomorrow and everyday?"

"...Sure."

"Yay!"

Kayami smiled widely at Kouen, happy as she picked up her cup and took a sip of the now warm liquid. They stayed out there until Kaisei had came to collect Kayami for dinner, she hugged Kouen one last time before she skipped away following after Kaisei as he lead her back to the area of the Palace where they lived at...

She chuckled at the memory, Hakuren seemed to have enjoyed teasing Kouen whenever he was with her after that, which seemed to annoy the red haired boy...she never understood why he would do that though. But Kayami had learned how to save Kouen from Hakuren's teasing though, and that was to sacrifice herself by acting cute in front of the Second Prince.

Let's just say that it worked very well and Hakuren had soon forgotten to tease Kouen in favor of nuzzling and cuddling Kayami.

Kayami closed her eyes as she smiled at the memories of them, that's how they will live on: in their memories and deep in their hearts. With a sigh, Kayami opened her eyes and stood up, stretching. She had been here long enough now it was time for her to go back and watch over the living.

She placed her hand on top of the shrine and whispered, "Sleep well, My Princes..." And with that she turned and walked away, leaving the area behind as she goes to watch over Kougyoku and threaten Koubun when he started speaking his 'thoughts' out-loud again...which was something he tended to do a lot.