Aaltja met Kaisei, which had been a bit awkward because the huge man didn't say much but he had a stern and no nonsense taking bearing to him.

Then Kouha dragged them to the sparring ring with Kougyoku following after them.

"Does he do that a lot?" Aaltja asked looking at Kayami.

"Yeah...you'll get used to it, he doesn't mean any harm but he will drag you if you trip." Kayami said.

Kouha smiled up at them and said, "You two should spar! It should be very interesting to watch!"

Kayami sighed heavily and shook her head, "Somehow I knew this was going to happen."

Aaltja looked at her with a frown and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you later, let's get to sparring...how strong is that hammer of yours?" Kayami asked as she pointed at the hammer-staff that she was carrying.

"Strong enough...why?"

"We'll use our actual weapons...more fun that way," Kayami said as she unsheathed her Ki longsword and gripped her sword in a two handed hold.

"Alright," Aaltja said as she got her weapon ready. "Let's go this!" And without even waiting, both girls lunged at each other.

CLANG

Kayami and Aaltja jumped apart before they lunged forward and their respected weapons clashed once again, one with a longsword the other with a hammer/staff weapon.

Aaltja ducked a slice that would have beheaded her if she had been a second slower and aimed her weapon at Kayami's stomach but was blocked with the flat side of the Ki warrior's sword, though she did go skidding a few feet back.

"Should you guys be using real weapons?" Kougyoku asked nervously.

Aaltja leapt into the air and brought down her weapon heavily down onto Kayami's sword when the woman raised her weapon to block the airborne attack.

Kayami gritted her teeth and pushed back, pushing back the blonde hair girl and just when she was about to lung towards the other girl a voice behind her causes both girls to jolt in surprise and look towards the voice.

"What's going on here?"

Kouen was heading towards them with Koumei with their household members. She clicked her tongue and lowered her sword.

"We were sparring." Kayami finally said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"With real weapons?"

"Yes? Wooden swords aren't fun." Kayami said crossing her arms over her chest.

Aaltja nodded her head in agreement, she still wasn't comfortable around Kouen...he didn't show much emotion.

Kouen just stared at him and Kayami leaned over to Aaltja and stage-whispered, "Kouen has the perfect disapproving dad stare."

Kouen just stared at her.

Kayami sent him a cheeky smile and continued speaking. "Direct your attention to the narrowed eyes, flared nostrils, slowly reddening cheeks from anger." Kouen didn't look amused (he didn't look like anything to be honest) but she wasn't done yet. "Aye, the perfect specimen, he is! Perhaps it's a sign among his species that he's searching for a suitable mate!"

Aaltja was struggling hard not to laugh, as was Kouha and Kougyoku.

Kouen sighed and said, "Next time you two spar, use wooden swords." And with that he walked off, Aaltja and Kayami watch silently until he wasn't in sight before they erupted into their par. They weren't finished and wanted to finish it.

++++

Later the three girls were walking around, showing Aaltja around the rest of the palace. Aaltja was between the two girls, and noticing that while the nobles bowed to Kougyoku they sneakily snuck dirty looked at Kayami who ignored them.

Once they were alone, Aaltja looked at Kayami and asked, "Why don't they like you?"

"Oh...no reason." Kayami said as she shrugged her shoulder, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Didn't you throw your sword at him at one point?" Kougyoku asked as she looked at Kayami with a frown on her lips.

Kayami turned her head slowly and said, "Thanks for that, Gyoku."

Kougyoku smiled at her and said, "No problem!"

"Anyways, yeah...I threw my sword at them but that's not why they don't like me," Kayami said. "They don't like me because I became apart of the Ren family inner circle by not doing much...mostly the children, her siblings." She jerked her thumb towards Kougyoku.

"I wouldn't say that, Kaya...you were nice to us and wanted to be our friend when we were kids." Kougyoku smiled at her.

"How long have you been here?" Aaltja asked.

"Since I was a child...hard to remember when I came here, time flies when you're having fun and all that." Kayami winked at her with a smirk.

Aaltja nodded her head slowly, she wasn't going to stay for very long anyways.

Kayami threw an arm around her and said, "You and I are going to be great friends." She smiled hugely at her.

The blonde haired girl blinked at her in surprise, not having expected her to do that. Kougyoku was called away by Koubun, who avoided eye contact with Kayami and barely even looked at Aaltja. Both girls watched them leave before they start to walk away.

"Why do people seem to be afraid of you?"

The Ki warrior looked down at the girl and said, "Because I don't take anything from no one...expect for Kouen, you'll learn why as you get used to us but hopefully, you'll help me keep him on his toes." She winked when she said the last part. "Now I am taking you to my chambers where you will stay until your own room is made ready for you. You'll be placed in the same area, they don't trust you...and neither do they trust us even though we've been with here for a long time."

Kayami tucked her hands into her wide sleeves in front of her, causing her sleeves to overlap when she did so.

"Are there any good people here?" Aaltja asked.

"Sure...the Ren siblings and their household members but there are some who like to hide it," Kayami said as she walked. "You'll meet them sometime today or tomorrow, depends on how busy the Emperor makes them."

"Will I met the Emperor?"

"No and you won't be meeting the Empress either, not if I can help it and if someone does try to take you to met her you make up something and come looking for me," Kayami said. "Or Kouha, he might protect you better but be on your guard around her and her magicians, they give me goosebumps."

Aaltja slowly nodded her head, she didn't know why but Kayami didn't seem to like the Empress...or the Emperor.

The older girl is silent for a while before she says, "Oh and Kouha has a habit of visiting me during all hours of the day and night so that's something else you have to get used to until you get your own room...and he might do the same to you as well, at least that's what I think."

Kayami smiled at Aaltja which caused the girl to blink up at her, not understanding her at all. Both girls fall silent as they walked, both deep in their thoughts. Kayami was going to help Aaltja get used to her new surroundings so that she didn't get sent away by the Empress, who would do it if she felt that Kouha was getting too close to her.