Koumei was frustrated. This was way too much camera time. He didn't want to show his face this much. He wanted to stick behind the scenes.

"Why do I have to do this?"

"Meimei, you know why. We have to. We don't have a choice."

"But I hate cameras. I hate makeup. I hate having to have decent looking hair. I hate not being able to nap when I want to. This sucks. This entire movie sucks."

"Big brother, it is just a little while longer."

"And besides. Your freckles are cute."

"That is the last thing I want to hear from you after everything we have had to do for this movie."

"Yeah well to bad."

"Ugh. I hate this.


Political negotiations were not his strong suit. He was much better at chopping people to pieces. The entire time he was itching to cut the enemy up. His hand kept tightening around his sword. He couldn't do anything of course, but he wanted to.

He listened to the King drone on and on about how much he wanted certain pieces of Kouha's land. Kouha continued to rebuff the King's remarks.

"The trade route across the desert would be highly valued to my people."

"As it is already valued by mine. If you pay the tariff as you are asked you may use the route as much as you please."

"But it would be nice if there wasn't a tax of any kind."

"It would for you, but it would hurt my people. We would lose income. I cannot simply hand you pieces of my country."

Koumei could see the conversation going in circles. He couldn't help his king like this. He slipped out of the room unnoticed and back to his chambers. He equipped himself with battle gear he had abandoned long before. He blew dust off the sword hung on the wall and attached it to his belt. 'It may have been a while but I haven't forgotten my training.'

He moved to gather things he needed. The kitchens wouldn't notice anything missing if he only took a handful here and there. He smuggled medicine out of the hospital wing. 'If the General is still alive he'll need immediate medical attention.' He took the king's strongest horse. It wouldn't be missed. When night fell he hurried off.

Kouha noticed Koumei's absence but the others in the room didn't. 'What is he doing?'

Koumei rode the horse until they reached the foliage just outside the capital city. He hid the horse and pulled up his hood. 'Sneaking into the castle won't be hard from here. The underground tunnels are just east of me.'

Koumei moved silently in the early morning light. He moved through the grate of the sewer tunnel. It was dark but his eyes adjusted. He followed the tunnels in a zigzag motion until he heard voices. The castle was above him. He moved to a quieter section and pulled himself through another grate and out of the tunnel. He was in a food store room. He moved out and observed his surroundings. He would need to go down to find the General, but there would also be another tunnel down there. It would be easier to get the General second. He moved to the western wing. More dungeons, these more hidden. He found them the last time negotiations between the two countries had been held here.