Kayami was walking through the outside corridor of the Palace, she was alone for once since Aaltja was hiding from Kouha who was trying to get her to play dress up with him. She wasn't wearing her normal Ki clothing, she was wearing Kou robes since according to Kaisei the Empress was once more trying to get her sent back to Ki Island because Kayami didn't wear their clothing even though she was technically a apart of their Empire now.
She paused and looked up at the dark sky, it looked like it was going to rain...she could smell it in the air. Kayami hoped that Aaltja wasn't anywhere outside because she didn't want her to get sick, Kouha would try to take care of it and Kayami didn't want the blonde to get traumatized. Kougyoku would either try to help or come get Kayami since she had a better medical knowledge than the two of them combined since she was always taking care of them when they were sick.
Kayami smiled as she remembered a dark and stormy day a long time ago...
Kayami jerked in surprise when her bedroom window were violently thrown open by a gust of wind, there was a large storm brewing outside. She kicks off her sheets before she picks up a candle holder and lights the wick then she walks over to the window and closes it after she looks out, making sure to cup her hand protectively in front of the flame. It was dark out, even more so since it was night time, and it was very windy and rainy.
She closed the window with a sigh before she climbed into bed, she couldn't help but think that this storm would have been well received by the locals if it had arrived a few weeks prier...when the Emperor and the two Princes were killed during a revolt, that way a young prince wouldn't have lost his older brothers during that fire.
Knock knock
Kayami sat up when she heard someone knocking on her door, she frowned a little. Who could it be at this hour? She didn't know who was up since she had just recently moved into the main palace, the new Emperor had wanted the ten year old girl and her mentor close by. She crawled out of the bed and walked to the door, she opened it and looked out...and blinked in surprise when she sees who it was.
Standing in front of her was the Third Imperial Prince Kouha Ren and the Eighth Imperial Princess Kougyoku Ren.
"Can I help you?" Kayami whispered, not wanting to wake Kaisei up who was sleeping in the next room.
Before either one of the younger kids could answer, lighting crashed and thunder roared causing them to jerk in fear and surprise before they rush towards Kayami and cling to her white yukata's sleeves on either side of her.
She smiled and moved her arms so that she could hold their hands before she smiled at them and looked at them, "You wanna sleep with me tonight?"
Kouha and Kougyoku nodded their heads vigorously before they release her hands and dart to her bed and climb under the sheets. She closed the door before she walked to her bed, she blew out the candle and climbed into bed. Kayami made sure that she was between them so that they would be able to nestle against her if they wanted to...which they did.
She could feel them shaking and quivering at her sides, causing her to shake as well. Kayami smiled and patted their heads affectionately before she opened her mouth and began to sing, softly of course so that she wouldn't wake up Kaisei.
" Father once said to me. Many moons ago. A warrior's hand will defend, " Kayami sang. " Mother said one day. There is more that you must know. A maiden's hand will sustain. " She felt them start to relax against her but they were still tense because of the lighting and thunder. " Two hands together. Incomplete alone. Balance and union. And the gate will open. " Kayami wrapped her arms around them and brought them a closer to her, protecting them from the storm raging outside. " Go my children go. Go to crimson flames. To save our children. The lights of memory remain... " She trailed off on a low note before she looks at the two younger kids next to her only to see that they had fallen asleep sometime during her song. Kayami gently kissed their foreheads before she leaned back down and closed her eyes, the rain hitting the roof lulling the young girl into a deep slumber as she kept her arms wrapped around the two young children that were sleeping against her sides...
She smiled at the memory since then every time it stormed or even rained, Kouha and Kougyoku always snuck into her bed and have her sing that lullaby to them...even though they are now older. Kayami shook her head and chuckled, she certainly spoiled those two by allowing them to get away with a lot of things with her.
Maybe that's why Kouha was trying to get Aaltja to play dress up because she practically allowed him to do whatever he wanted ever since their first meeting.
Whoops...hopefully, Aaltja doesn't realize that.
Later that day, it started to rain, Kayami was hanging out in the First Imperial Prince's private library and spending time with her favorite 'monsters'.
She was lying on top of Shou En, who was sitting down so that she could do this. Kayami was on his right shoulder with her elbows propped and her chin nestled in the middle of her palms as she watched Kouen read.
Shou En had a dragon-like appearance, and has a tail, scales all over his body and sharp teeth. His eyes have a light color. He usually wears Kou's traditional clothing and has a shoulder protector on his left shoulder.
Standing in front of them was Seishuu Ri whose main feature was his hair, which is made of snakes...something that Kayami had tried to see if she could still braid much to his annoyance. He's taller than an ordinary person, though Shou was the hugest of Kouen's monsters, had pointed ears, wears the Kou's traditional clothing and has a shoulder protector on his right shoulder.
And standing next to Sei was Kin Gaku has the appearance of a huge and robust man. He had a pig nose, a round face and his moustache, hair and teeth are dark. He wears the typical Kou's dress but without sleeves, which show his robust arms. He also wears an armor that covers his chest, with a scarf on the neck. He also wears a head scarf and carries a sort of spear.
Kokuton Shuu, who was standing to the left of Kayami and Shou, had a bull-like appearance; lion-like hair, a tail and his entire body is covered in fur. He had a horn on each side of his head. He wears Kou's traditional clothing and has a shoulder protector on his right shoulder. He had Kou's emblem in the chest of his armor.
She leaned forward and grabbed one of the snakes that made Sei's hair, Shou had to reach up and held her waist so that she wouldn't slide off.
"Sei! Let me braid your hair!" She shouted.
"No! Besides you have Lord Shou, so mess with him!"
Shou didn't say anything about how Seishuu threw him in the line of fire, in a manner of speaking. But he and the others were used to this since Kayami was a child, she was more open with her affections and emotions during that time and had continued doing it as she got older. Though to be honest they had thought that she would be afraid and avoid them after they assimilated but Kayami treated them the same way...to her there was no difference expect their appearance.
"Mmm...Don't wanna."
"What?! Why is it that you bother me more than the others?!"
"Because your reactions amuse me~" Kayami said with a smirk. She then waves her hand towards the other three. "They're pretty much used to my little habits with them and thus don't really give me reactions expect for acceptance...unlike you~" Kayami winked and smirked at Seishuu.
Seishuu looked at his fellow Household members who all shrug or nod their heads in response to Kayami's words.
"That's crap! And the answer is still 'no' for the braiding my hair!"
She tugged at his snake strand causing his to wince at her punishment for him that she did whenever he didn't let her braid his hair before she removed her hand and slide down Shou's back. She walked over to Kin who sat down in a lotus position so that Kayami could sit on his legs, something she did when she was a child...she still did it but only when they were alone.
Kouen was watching their interactions from the corner of his eye, it still amazed and amused him how Kayami treated them and how they treated her in turn.
"Kin, Sei is no fun...he's a stick in the mud~" Kayami said.
Kin patted her head and said, "He's just a brat so don't take it to heart."
"Who are you calling a brat and a stick in the mud?!" Seishuu yelled at them both.
Kin hit Seishuu's shoulder and said, "And just who do you think you are yelling at, fucking snake brat?"
"Ow! That hurt, Lord Kin!"
Kayami snickered which earned her a glare from Seishuu, to which she responded by going to Kokuton were she stood behind him and peeked at Seishuu from behind him.
"Why are you hiding now?!"
"Because I don't want you to grab me...you tend to forget your strength sometimes, Sei..." Kayami said with a shiver as she remembered that day.
"Oh come on! You still going on about that? That happened a long time ago!"
"You almost dislocated my shoulder, you brute...and I need both to use my sword!"
Kokuton reached behind him and patted the top of her head, gently though since he didn't want to harm her. Shou, Kin and Kokuton were the only ones who remembered their strength and were gentle with her...Seishuu tries to remember but sometimes he forgets and will touch Kayami with full strength. Of course, Kayami has no trouble reminding them if they touched her with their full strength by introducing her foot to their faces...Seishuu is the only one that get a foot to the face.
Shou noticed Kouen was watching them and said, "What is it, Lord Kouen?"
"Nothing." Kouen said as he goes back to reading from the Toran scrolls. Kayami returns to Shou's shoulder, returning her original position and going back to watching Kouen.
It was silent before a few minutes before Kouen spoke again but this time at Kayami, "What do you think of my Household members?"
Kayami blinked at that and tilted her head to the side, "Umm...their my family?"
Kouen could tell that she was confused but he just nodded his head and said, "Is that it?" He could see the silent question on the faces of his Household members.
"Well, they are strong but to me that doesn't matter because they are my family."
Kouen stifled a smile, that was such a Kayami response. Strength only mattered to her in a fight, any other time she could have cared less who was strong or not in her new family.
"And what do you think of me?"
"A Tyrant." Kayami said without hesitation.
No hesitation what so ever, I'm surprised he hadn't killed her yet, the four Household members thought together.
They hoped that Aaltja wouldn't be like that but something deep down told them that they shouldn't be holding their breathes when it came to the blonde.
Kouen chuckled at that and said, "I see..." And that was all he said before he went back to reading, leaving Kayami confused at the reasoning behind those questions and just as she was ready to ask him why, Kouha poked his head in and smiled when he saw Kayami.
"Big Brother En, can I borrow Kaya since I can't find Tja?"
Kayami stifled a smile at that, looked like Aaltja was hiding quite well from the pink haired Prince.
"Go ahead...she isn't doing anything anyways." Kouen said.
"Yay! Fun times! I was starting to be bored!" Kayami said as she hoped off Shou and trotted over to Kouha who she gave a big hug and rubs her cheek against his, both of her eyes were closed while Kouha closed only one eye in response to her cheek rubbing. Another thing she does with the younger Kou siblings since they were younger, she did it to Kouen and Koumei when they were younger but had stopped after the deaths of the first Emperor and his sons when Kouen and Koumei became the first and second Imperial Prince and had all eyes on them.
She released him and Kouha grabbed her hand as he said, "Thanks, Big Brother En! We'll be leaving now!" He waves bye as he leads her out of the room. Kayami waved as well with a big smile on her face as she allowed him to lead her.
The sound of their retreating footsteps soon faded from their hearing before Shou looked at Kouen and asked what they all were thinking, "Why were you asking her that?"
Kouen looked up briefly before he looked back down, "Because I wanted to see if she still thought the same way she did as a child." He was silent for a few seconds before he added. "Though her view of me seemed to have changed."
No one said anything at that as Kouen went silent again and continued to read the scroll.