DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN BROTHERS CONFLICT IN ANYWAY SHAPE OR FORM
When Natsume came to his office he was surprised to see Emily at his desk looking at his computer intensely.
"Um, Miss Smith?" he said.
"Oh hello Mr. Asahina," she said as she stood up, "I'm sorry, your computer was on and it was showing one of your games was on it."
Natsume came around and looked at the screen, "oh yes, this is a simulation for one of our upcoming games."
"Looks intense, I like it!" Emily said.
"Hmm, thank you," Natsume said, "so you came to see me about something?"
"Oh yes," Emily said as she pulled out a book from her bag, "I found one of my father's books about the authentic Elence knight and civilian attire I thought you'd might want to use for the game."
"Oh, yes, thank you!" Natsume said as he took the book and started to look through it. All the pictures had detailed description of the outfits, the kind of armor mostly used, the usual color schemes.
"This is quite detailed," Natsume said as he looked at the pictures.
"Well dad managed to do this one before he started going off," Emily explained.
"I see," Natsume said, "may I keep this?"
"Yes, I had brought it for the sole purpose of letting you keep it," Emily assured him, "I also brought you another book. This one I did myself with the help of one of my father's colleagues. It's of the mythical creatures and people of Elence."
"Oh, thank you," Natsume said as he examined the pictures. It showed in the same details of the different creatures and people and their abilities.
"This almost seems like a guide to a video game," Natsume said.
"You think so?" Emily said a little surprised.
"I meant that as a compliment," Natsume insisted. "What's with this giant toad?"
"Freaky, isn't it?" Emily said, "I've theorized that it was a mere fabrication from some local boys who for some reason wanted to sound brave or something."
"I'm sure that's how most of those start," said Natsume.
"The bog where the story originated is now a popular tourist attraction, kind of like Loch Ness with its monster," Emily said, "and every now and then people will claim they saw one or find evidence of him."
"Hmm," Natsume muttered, "some people will believe anything, won't they?" Emily shrugged her shoulders.
"I may want to see this bog anyway. How far away is it?"
"About a 4 hour drive," said Emily, "if we head out now we might be able to make it there and back. That is if you want to go."
"Well it'd be better than hanging around the palace all day," Natsume said. He gathered up a few things of his own.
"We can take my car," Emily offered.
"Probably be best, wouldn't want to cause a scene by coming one of the royal cars," Natsume agreed.
The two walked out of the office and headed towards the back door. They had just started to head down some stairs, when they saw another woman walking up. Both she and Emily froze at the sight at each other.
"Emily?"
"Elizabeth,"
"Oh Hello Miss Smith," Natsume said.
"Hello Ambassador Asahina," Elizabeth said politely, "I'm just here to see your older brother Kaname, he's doing a favor for me."
"It's good to see you Liz," Emily said.
"Hmm," was all Elizabeth would respond as she tried heading past the pair.
"How long are you staying home? Maybe we can get together?" Emily tried calling after her.
"I have too many things to do right now. So I can't guarantee anything, sorry," Elizabeth replied bluntly before hurrying on her way.
Emily gave a sad sigh.
"She always that way?" Natsume asked as they kept walking.
"Sadly yes, she's pretty much looped us all in with our mother who shunned her. When in reality, I, dad and our brother do care about her. I wish she'd learn to realize that and not feel so much hate towards us," Emily said sadly.
"I seriously can't believe how easy it is now to walk without my cane! I could actually dance with Ema at the ball!" the two suddenly heard King Stephon say as he came up the stairs accompanied by Richard and Kaname.
"Just make sure you still go at easy your highness. Don't want to over do it and hurt yourself again," Richard advised.
"Yeah, the body does need physical treatments as well as emotional," Kaname mentioned.
"Well I still can't thank you enough Kaname for your help. I feel so much at ease," Stephon said happily. Then he looked up and saw Natsume and Emily. "Oh Natsume, you have company."
"Uh, yes, this Emily Smith, a history major who's helping me with the game," Natsume introduced.
"My lady," Stephon said as he kissed the back of Emily's hand.
"Your Majesty!" Emily said blushing. She quickly regained her composure and bowed respectively.
"It's an honor to see you. I never thought I would have the honor of meeting you in person."
"Well the experience hasn't overwhelmed you," Stephon observed.
"You're looking well your majesty," Natsume said looking the king over.
"Thank you, your brother Kaname helped lead me in some meditation which helped me release some of the build up tension I've carrying with me all these years," Stephon said happily, twirling around with joy.
"Oh, good," Natsume said, "I'm sure Ema will be happy to see this when she returns home."
"Hmm," the king sighed in agreement, turning around once more.
"Well enough about me, it looks like you two are off somewhere. Don't let me stand in your way. Do you need a car or a means of transportation?"
"Oh, no, we're just going in Miss Smith's car," said Natsume, "we're heading to Krewn Bog."
"That tourist trap?" Richard said.
"It's just for research on the Giant Toad. I'm thinking he'd make a good character for the game," Natsume explained.
"Oh, well, Richard, can one of your men get them a GPS with coordinates of the back roads we take to get there? A lot faster that way. Shaves off about an hour," Stephon insisted.
"Sure thing," Richard said, pulling out his radio. "They'll meet you by Miss Smith's car with the GPS."
"Thanks," Natsume said.
"Have a good day," said Stephon.
"Oh and Kaname, the other Miss Smith, Elizabeth, is here to see you," Natsume mentioned as he and Emily walked along their way.
"Oh, she must be here about the seminar she asked me to speak at," Kaname said amused.
"Fortunately she's nicer to you," Emily muttered under her breath.
"Are you and the other Miss Smith acquainted?" Stephon asked. Emily looked startled.
"Oh, um we're um, sisters. Half-sisters technically, and she kind of keeps her distance from the rest of the family," Emily sputtered out.
"Oh, I see," Stephon said, "I suppose all family has their issues. Take care my dear."
"Thank you, your majesty," Emily said as she all but ran the rest of the way down. Natsume hurried after her.
"I can't believe I spilled out my family's drama to the king!" Emily said embarrassed.
"Don't threat," Natsume comfort her. "I'm sure the king understands first hand about family drama."
"Hmm," Emily muttered. However, she was surprised when Natsume took her hand.
"Don't worry. If there's one thing I've come to learn about the king is that he's very understanding. I think he's a very trustworthy man," he assured her.
"Okay," Emily allowed, letting a small smile come on her face.
"Almost sounds like this other Miss Smith, Elizabeth, is her name right? Could use some of your meditation training," Stephon said.
"Maybe," said Kaname, "I should go see her right now. Take care your majesty." He bowed politely and walked off.
"He's a good man," Stephon said happily as he walked back to his own office.
"I'm glad he could help ease your pain, sire," Richard said.
"And Lady Beatrice's too for that matter," Stephon said. An evil smirk came to his face. "Are her parents on their way here? Speaking of which."
"I can find out," said Richard.
"Good, while it'll be most entertaining to see Robert and those pathetic ladder climbers get knocked down, I'd like to get it all done before Ema gets home. Less they try and blame her for all of it."
"Understood," Richard said, "um and what about her and Tsubaki?"
"Well, once she's officially dissolved her engagement, she'll be a single woman, free to date most whomever she desiers," Stephon said. His amusement face became even larger. "You know ever since I first met the man, something inside me was telling me he would be a good match for her."
"Yeah, me too in a weird way," Richard admitted. "What do you suppose will happen to her once she's made her choice clear?"
"I suspect her father will disown her, kick her out of the house. The usual dance. And if she kicked out of her home, we'll take it upon ourselves to find her a new place. She won't be allowed to stay here, at least not for too long. Given the circumstances, it'd create too much of a scandal. However, once she has established herself in a new resident, Bea always was the sort that could take care of herself."
"So what are you planning on doing once your parents and Robert finally show up?" Tsubaki asked as he and Beatrice walked on by themselves, not afraid to hold hands.
"Just be flat out honest. It's not going to happen. They can't make me, and I'm not afraid to face anything they'll do to me!" Bea declared excited.
"And what will you do once you've called everything off?" Tsubaki continued to pry.
"Get kicked out of my parents house probably. Find a new place, probably a small apartment, get a job. Maybe I should consider looking now," Bea said. She turned down a different hallway, pulling Tsubaki with her and coming to a new office Tsubaki had never seen before.
Bea walked to the desk, and started up the computer. She was surprised when Tsubaki slipped in behind her and took the seat.
"Hey!" Bea sneered cheerfully.
"What, doesn't my lap look more comfortable than this stiff ild chair?" Tsubaki teased, "it's not like you're engaged anymore besides."
Bea smirked as she slowly but onto Tsubaki's lap, and started looking over job sites.
"So what kind of career are you hoping to find?" Tsubaki surprised by whispering in her ear.
"What I'd love to do is direct, movie play, what have you. But I have zero to no experience, so I don't think that'll work," Bea replied with a blush.
"Well, maybe you can find another way," Tsubaki suggested, "you could try acting."
"You think? I never saw myself as much of an actress," Bea admitted.
"Well, then, what if you tried making your own opportunity? Find a way to do some small projects. Make small films for things like YouTube. Let people see how good you are that maybe they'd try to give you a try with bigger projects. And don't be ahamed to do little things like commercials or kids movies."
Bea pondered Tsubaki's advice, while also slightly enjoying his hand running across her front half. She twisted around and looped her arm around Tsubaki's head and around his back.
"I'll try that. Be nice to try something new on my own," she agreed.
"I think, if you do try for it, you'll make it as a director," Tsubaki encouraged.
"Thank you," Bea replied. She gently took a hold of Tsubaki's chin and pulled him closer to her, kissing him on the lips. Tsubaki didn't hesitate one second, but instead pulled his hand up, and wrapped one on Bea's neck, to support her head as the two kept kissing.
"So," Tsubaki said between kisses, "am I allowed to say things like, 'I'd like to take you out for a date, outside the palace, in public?"
"Sure, I don't care who gets all mad over me seeing a different person other than Robert. The public can call me a full fledged slut for all I care. No more, no more control over my life, except by me," Bea insisted before kissing Tsubaki again.
"As you wish," Tsubaki teased, kissing her some more.
"Miss Smith," Kaname said happily as he walked into the lounge area Elizabeth was waiting.
"Hello again Ambassador Asahina," Elizabeth said, "I was asked to bring you some notes for the seminar that you volunteered to speak at."
She pulled them out from her briefcase.
"Ah yes, thank you," Kaname said as he took them and read them. He started to look a little discouraged as he read.
"They practically wrote the speech for me," he said.
"Yes, well, they think they know what's best for kids to hear," Elizabeth tried to explain.
"Hmm," Kaname muttered, "I will, try, to keep true to what they are asking."
"Thank you," Elizabeth replied, looking like she getting her things ready to go.
"But I should mention, I am a little use to doing things my way, and sometimes go off a little," Kaname suddenly warned with a smirk.
"Oh," Elizabeth said, a little less than thrilled, "well, I could care less, but you should still try. The people who run this program are a little old school, traditionalists. They don't like it when people defy them."
"Well, I'm afraid they should have been a little more careful when they asked me to be their speaker," Kaname said smugly.
"But I'm the one who asked you!" Elizabeth reminded him.
"Oh, right," Kaname said pretending to just remember. He twirled around until he was standing behind her chair, "what could we do to make sure you, such a beauty, isn't blamed for my needs and desiers?"
Elizabeth shifted her eyes and realized Kaname's hand was on her shoulder, massaging it gently.
Kanamd suddenly held the note sheet in front of her. "Could it be, you did your duty and dropped this off for the Asahina Ambassador, but it didn't get to the right brother?"
Elizabeth jumped as Kaname began to tear up the sheets. He flung the pieces into the air.
"It happens all the time, does it not?"
"You're seriously going to ignore those notes and just go at this thing free range?!" Elizabeth asked as she jumped up and looked at him
"I had great spiritual inspiration in matters of love a long time ago throug the gods. They showed me so much when it comes to love. That's why I even decided to become a monk."
"Well, I hope you and your gods know what you're doing!" Elizabeth declared as she tried getting her things together.
"I'm sure I will," said Kaname, "now, may I ask you something, my lady?"
"Um, sure," Elizabeth as she kept getting her things.
"Do you feel like you hate your sister?" Kaname asked outright.
"My sister?" Elizabeth said looking confused, "Do you mean Emily?"
"I had the pleasure of meeting her earlier," Kaname explained.
"Well, no offense or anything sir, but my relationship with my sister, as well as my family is none of your concern," Elizabeth insisted.
"Oh, now, don't be like that. Maybe I can help," Kaname offered.
"We don't need any help. I'm fine they're fine. That's all you need know," Elizabeth maintain.
"Your sister sounds like she disagree," said Kaname.
"Well, Emily's a little naive, always trying to be a little helper to everyone," Elizabeth tried to explain.
"I was told that you tend to keep your distance from your family though," Kaname said.
"I have to, it's a part of my job," Elizabeth maintain, "I don't have time to spend my family. And again, it is none of your business how I deal with my family. They're all have their own things to do. They don't need to pause their lives just because of me."
"Hmm, I see," Kaname said, "I'm sorry, but that to me to me as though you're reciting a speech. Something you had to learn over and over again to recite."
Elizabeth sighed. "Seriously, it's fine. I've been dealing with my family just fine on my own all these years and I don't need you to suddenly come in and trying to get saved or something!"
She gathered her things up in haisty anger and was about to head out the door when Kaname threw his arm out in front of the woman.
"Please, my lady, don't force yourself with this build up anger,' he said. "It's not becoming for such a beautiful woman like you."
"Tell that to my mother!" Elizabeth snapped.
Kaname took a hold of her arms and gently pulled her back to the chairs and made her sit down.
"Close your eyes," he instructed.
"No!" Elizabeth argued.
"Close your eyes," Kaname instructed again, "call it a form of ambassador work."
Elizabeth glared at him but still closed her eyes.
"Take a few deep even breaths," Kaname told her. Elizabeth reluctantly did as she was told. "Keep doing this. Nice even breaths. And then I want you to focus on the one thing that is causing you stress in life."
"Doing this!" Elizabeth said.
"Is it? Or is getting you to finally admit what makes you worry and sad?" Kaname asked.
Elizabeth looked like she was struggling to keep her breaths even like she was told to.
"Okay, I do have some issues with my mother. She seemed to blame me for my father leaving and the aftermath that followed. She lost her good job because it didn't allow her the flexibility to take care of me by herself. But it's not enough to...,"
"Stop denying what makes you miserable," Kaname said, "it's okay to admit that something makes you angry or sad!"
At that, Kaname could see a tear in Elizabeth's eye.
"I'm, I'm sorry my dad left. I didn't mean to make him leave!" she said.
"You didn't, nor did you make your mother turn the way she did. They made their own choices. They're made their own decisions in life. But they shouldn't be allowed to make you make the choices you've made. And that includes the kind of relationship you want to have with your sister or the rest of your family."
Kaname was a little surprised when Elizabeth fell out of her seat and into his arms, crying.
"I, I wanted to get close to them, but mom always shoved me away! She, she hated me!" Elizabeth confessed in between tears.
"Maybe she didn't hate you, maybe she was ashamed she couldn't give you the family her second husband was giving," Kaname said.
"What?" Elizabeth asked, drying her eyes.
"Maybe she didn't blame you or was mad at you. She felt ashamed as a mother she let your father leave that she wanted to keep herself away from you, less you see her as a failure," Kaname explained.
"Maybe," Elizabeth allowed, as she kept hugging Kaname.
"Whatever the reason, it's never too late to start making amends," said Kaname, "I'm not saying go straight away to your mother. But start with somebody who wants to have a good relationship with you," Kaname suggested.
"You mean like Emily?" Elizabeth asked.
"Sure, she sounds like she cares about you," Kaname asked, "maybe you can try right now. If you want to maybe have dinner with her tonight, I'll go with you. I haven't had a real good chance to try authentic Elence cuisine anyway."
Elizabeth nodded still a little teary eyed but managed to pull out her phone.
"You know if it means anything, I have 13 siblings, two of witch are my triplets and I've done a lot to keep my distance from them back in Japan," Natsume said as he and Emily left the palace grounds.
"What's that?" Emily asked as they drove.
"Most of my siblings live with in our mother's grand scale home. But I moved out a while ago and now live in my own apartment. I was even the last to me Ema as a result. Didn't meet her until the day of our parents wedding," Natsume explained.
"Hmm, well I can understand wanting to break away from that many brothers and sisters," said Emily, "maybe I've put too much pressure on Liz. I shouldn't make her try and get close."
"Well, at the very least, try a different approach," Natsume suggested.
Emily nodded when suddenly she heard her cell phone.
"Could you see who it is? Particularly if it's my dad?" she asked.
"Sure," Natsume said as he reached for the phone. "It says it's your sister."
"Liz? Emily said, "why is she calling? Could you answer and put it on speaker?"
"Of course," Natsume said, "hello this is Emily's phone, she's driving but I'll put her on speaker."
"His Emily," Elizabeth said, "I'm calling because I'd like to maybe have dinner tonight if that's alright with you."
"Dinner?" Emily said, "you want to have dinner?"
"Yes, please," Elizabeth pleaded, "I'd like to work out some of our relationship. If that's alright."
"Well, I'm taking someone to Krewn Bog. So if we do dinner, it'll be kind of late," said Emily.
"That's fine," Kaname's voice suddenly said, "bring him along. It make the situation a little better. I'll be there too after all."
"Kaname, what are you doing?" Natsume asked his brother annoyed.
"Helping out, doing my duty as a monk," Kanme said.
"Oh brother," Natsume muttered.
"What do you say Emily?" Elizabeth asked.
"Sure, would it be okay if we found a place sort of in between Krewn Bog and there?" Emily replied.
"Absolutely, I think that town, Shrouder, has a Captain Rudders. What do you say?" Elizabeth suggested.
"That sounds like a good place to do dinner. Let's shoot for 7," Emily agreed.
"See you and your date then," said Elizabeth, "bye sis."
"Did she call me sis?" Emily asked right as she and Natsume heard her hang up.
"Guess she did," said Natsume, "this sounds a little nice. I hope this does good for you."
"Me too, sorry you're getting dragged along," said Emily.
"Don't sweat it," Natsume assured her, "I'll grin and bear it. Even if I end up having dinner with Kaname, it'll be fine."
"Okay," Emily said" smiling at the man.
"Well, that's set," Elizabeth said sounding nervous as she hung up.
"It'll be fine," Kaname assured her.
"Thank you, for everything," Elizabeth said as she reached up and stroked Kaname's face.
"For a pretty woman like you? Anything," Kaname said smoothly.