^^ Lord Ran-Tama in modern clothes ^^

--- Arashi-Kumo ---

Mother giggled a bit, and then patted my hair. "No, dear one. Lee-Kahn is not your father, only your care-taker. You have never met your father." She explained quietly.

I hummed softly. "I see..."

Then I spotted the other little boy, and marched over with purpose, standing in front of him. "It has come to my attention that I was rude, earlier, and I gave offense when I returned your attack. I should have simply avoided it, not given it back. For that, you have my apology." I said simply, and waited for his response.

Mother stood slowly. "You're the one who hurt his hand?"

"He threw a rock at my head, and I returned it. Lee-Kahn has told me I must apologize, and he must apologize as well, and we will be friends." I nodded.

She blinked, then slowly turned her baleful gaze upon the older boy. "Ameno... answer him." She said, her voice not changing volume, or even pitch, only tone.

He frowned. "I did nothing wrong! He's cursed, and should never have left that Tower! He should have been tossed from the top, when you first saw his hands and evil eyes! I will not apologize for trying to do your work for you, you coward!" He screeched at her.

My hand snaked out, whipping across his cheek hard enough to sit him down by force. "You will not raise your voice at mother." I said severely.

She stepped closer, and nodded slowly. "Just as he said. I am not your servant, you will not speak to me in such a manner. However, Arashi, you mustn't strike your brother, even when he's done something wrong." She chided us both.

I bowed my head. "I apologize, mother. And to you as well, brother Ameno."

"Do not say my name, you cursed-YELP!"

She grabbed him over her knee with a professional ease, and proceeded to turn his backside a deep, mottled purple, bruising her delicate palm in the process.

Then she sat him in front of her, and frowned at him until he silenced his tears. "You will never speak so again, do you understand?"

He nodded slowly.

"Your brother has overcome his curses, and as such, will be treated with the respect he deserves, as a member of this noble household. Understood?" She stood up straight.

He refused to look at her, but nodded again.

"Good. Now I hope I've taught you some humility. You are not the emperor. You never will be. Remember that." She snapped, then controlled her voice, turning to me. "Now, Arashi, as I've said, you may have the walk of the castle, like your siblings, but you must be polite to all you meet."

I bowed. "Of course I will bring no shame upon my family's name, with rude or impolite remarks or actions." I said carefully.

The doors opened, surprising Lee-Kahn, who drew his sword in a smooth motion I'd been trying to copy for four years.

"Stand down, Lee-Kahn, don't you recognize your first charge?" A tall man entered the room, smiling easily, despite the sword to his throat.

Lee-Kahn sheathed his sword, then bowed deeply.

"Indeed, you do remember me! Now, where is Arashi? I have heard you kept him in a tower to protect everyone from his magical prowess? I must say, many things have changed since I left, Madame Kumo." The tall man hugged mother gently.

She smiled. "Ahh, Lord Ran-Tama, how long has it been, eight years, since you went to China to study magic?"

"Eight years indeed, Madame, yet you haven't aged a day..." he grinned.

"Oh! Flatterer!" She giggled.

I blinked. "Who is this, Mother? I have not been introduced, I don't think."

The tall man squatted on his heels, and grinned (still downwards) at me. "I'm your elder brother, Ren-Tama, of the Tama Clan! You must be Arashi? And this must be Ameno?" He patted Ameno's head gently.

"I am honored to meet you, Lord Tama." I bowed politely.

"Oh? So polite! Good, well done. So, you have been sequestered away in a tower, learning control of your magic?" He asked.

"Is that what you heard?" I avoided answering deftly.

"Indeed it is. Is it true?" He asked mother bluntly.

She did not answer.

"I see. That is fine. I like this rumor, and so I will help spread it. It is much better than the other rumor... by your eyes, I'd call you a mage, so it makes sense. Now who are your teachers?" He stood, asking simply.

I pointed at Lee-Kahn.

"Ahh, that explains your politeness. Lee-Kahn, always a stickler for protocol." He sighed, smiling.

"Do you know Lee-Kahn?" I asked, curious.

"Hmm? Yes, indeed! He was my guard, when I was a boy, much like you, I think." He nodded.

Ameno spoke up. "Were you there when they took his tongue for disrespecting the empress?!?" He asked hungrily, as if the situation excited him.

Ran looked at him slowly. "We do not speak of that." He said severely, his voice deepening.

Ameno flinched when the torches flickered, and I righted them with a thought.

Ran blinked, and looked at me, then the torches flickered harder.

I righted them again, and then maintained an iron grip on them when they tried to flutter again.

He laughed, suddenly, breaking my concentration, and they abruptly went out. He flicked his hand, and they relit themselves. "Well done, indeed. There's a mage in you, that's for sure. Powerful, as well, for a child... but what on earth are you wearing?" He crinkled up his nose, and poked at my threaded clothes.

"Lee-Kahn made them for me, like all my clothes." I murmured, moving away from his questing hands.

He blinked slowly. "Madame Kumo... I'd like an explanation, in private." He said simply, and swept away, his own cloak, colored green and white, fluttering behind him.

She bowed and followed demurely with a warning glare to Ameno over her shoulder.

As soon as she was gone, he glared at me, and I raised an eyebrow. "Your eyes do not give me fear, elder brother. You might be better off with eyes like mine." I glared back momentarily, feeling my eyes spark.

He yelped, falling on his bruised bottom, causing another yelp, and then ran away.

The royal physician gazed at me. "Young master Arashi, I would perhaps advise you to make some peace with the young master Ameno. He is, after all, your brother, even if he is hostile now."

I bowed. "I will attempt a peace, Lord Physician."

He nodded and then pulled out a long cord of rope, covered in knots, and measured my body swiftly. "Hmm... lean, for your age, but with your food, I'm not surprised... healthy, though. Good. Come to my clinic, later, for a full health-check. We mustn't let a member of the Emperor's clan become sickly." He said simply, and waddled away.

Lee-Kahn released a heavy breath, and grinned, patting my hair.

"I did well, Lee-Kahn?" I asked.

He nodded deeply, grinning even wider.

I smiled. "Good. Now I'm hungry... you have any bread?"

He hummed and fished in his pockets, then handed me some bread and cheese.

I munched on them easily, waiting for mother to return, (I hadn't been dismissed,) and played a small game with Lee-Kahn.

He would draw the basics of a character, and I would guess the word. Every time I made a mistake, he would add another line, finishing the word slowly. If he finished the word before I guessed it, I lost.

We'd been playing for almost four hours, when mother and Lord Ran-Tama returned, both looking rather surprised by my presence.

I stood and bowed. "Welcome back, Lord Tama, Mother."

Mother sighed and walked over, gazing at the pages spread around me. "What's this?"

"It is a game. Lee-Kahn writes the edges of a character, and I must guess the word. If I am wrong, he adds more. If I am right, I win!" I grinned.

She smiled. "A good game, indeed. How many characters do you use, Lee-Kahn? The simple Hiragana?"

He shook his head, and showed her one I'd failed at, a Kanji I couldn't place.

She gasped. "You're using the Chinese Kanji?"

Lord Tama came over soundlessly, and hummed. "Advanced... but he's getting them wrong, half the time... acceptable progress, given his teacher. No offense, Lee-Kahn, you are doing your best."

He bowed his head.

"Is this advanced? Most of the guards know these characters, right? I play this game with them often." I asked, confused.

Mother smiled. "Our guards are very well educated, dear. Most guards or soldiers outside the castle cannot read at all, much less the Imperial Characters."

I hummed softly. "I see."

"Now, Lord Ran-Tama has agreed to tutor you in Magic, and you will be allowed to keep your Tower Quarters, but I demand that the Royal Mason and a few Decorators make it more fit for a Lord to live in." She crossed her hands over her stomachs hiding them in her scribe sleeves, settling the matter.

I blinked slowly. "It is very comfortable. You should see what Lee-Kahn and I have done with it. It is not at all unclean, given Lee-Kahn's obsession with cleanliness."

She blinked slowly. "Ah, I do remember that he is rather clean, I always liked that about him. Very well, I will visit and see, but your clothes, as well, must be changed. You may not wear Thread. I will not allow it." She said simply, an unflinching and disapproving gaze being sent at my clothing.

I touched my shirt protectively. "Lee-Kahn made these..."

She nodded. "You may wear them in your Tower, but should you leave, you will wear clothes befitting your station." She gazed at me sternly when I went to protest.

I sighed, and bowed. "Yes, mother."

"Oh don't get pouty with me, darling." She sighed, and tapped my chin, pulling me to stand straight. "Let's go." She gestured at the door.

I nodded and grabbed Lee-Kahn's belt, moving towards the door. He followed easily, gazing at the surroundings, and I snapped a hand to the front as I exited the door, blocking a handful of manure that had been aimed at my face.

Mother stepped out of the door slowly, gazing at her robes, which were now ruined. "Ameno... Kumo..." she hissed.

He yelped and ran away.

"I know where you sleep, boy, running will do you no good." She growled.

He halted, and then trudged back towards us.

Lord Ran waved a hand, and all the manure dried, then turned to dust and fell off, leaving us clean. "No need to stand here dirty, while you yell at him." He winked.

Mother nodded slowly, then snatched Ameno's ear, once he was close enough, ignoring his startled yelp. "Follow." She snapped.

Then she gazed at me calmly. "Lead on, child."

I nodded slowly, and walked to my tower, easily springing up the tall stairs, to the sixth floor, where the birds slept. I gave them some bread quickly. "Don't tell the bird-keeper." I whispered at them, and they croaked affectionately, rubbing feathered heads against my hands.

The last flight of stairs led us into my home.

Mother gazed around at the red and white curtains, and the bamboo floors Lee-Kahn had made when the old floors had started giving out under his weight. Then the wardrobe, also created by Lee-Kahn, to hold his armor while he didn't wear it, and our clothes. The loom, where he'd been taught by a maid to spin Thread from wool, sat in a corner.

Her gaze landed upon my bed, made of a large hay bale that had been hollowed when I was a baby, and was now filled with softer hay.

She slowly frowned. "Unacceptable."

I blinked. "What's wrong? I have a bed, and a roof, an I even have a telescope to look at the moon, and a mirror!" I showed her the telescope Lee-Kahn had made me from brass and crystal, when I said I wanted to see the stars clearer.

Lord Ran looked through it, and hummed. "Impressive. Well-made." He complimented Lee-Kahn, who bowed deeply in thanks.

Mother shook her head. "I don't care. Yes, Lee-Kahn is to be commended for his incredible adaptive skills, but this is no room fit for an emperor's son. And where does Lee-Kahn sleep? The roof?" She snapped.

I blinked, then pointed at his bed, made of old guard cloaks, which he swore was very comfortable.

She twitched. "No. Unacceptable. I will have this entire tower re-fitted, if I must, but you will not live in squalor!"

Lord Ran put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Calm yourself, Madame Kumo." He said softly.

"Yes... my apologies." She breathed deeply, and then seemed to remember the boy she held captive by his ear. "Ah, yes. This is how your brother lives, Ameno. And his manners are far more pronounced than yours. How is this possible, hmm?" She forced him to gaze around the room, and at my form.

He frowned, and didn't answer.

She twisted his ear, frowning back sarcastically. "Speak!"

"I don't know!" He snapped at her.

She glared at him, and again bent him over her knee, but instead beat his thighs and calves, avoiding his already-bruised behind. "Now that's the last time you will snap at your mother, do you understand?" She hissed.

He nodded, fighting even more tears.

I hummed. "He cries quite a lot, for an elder brother." I commented.

He didn't hear me, over his own sudden sobbing, and so Lord Ran spoke to me as she took him down the stairs, carrying him carefully. "He is not like you, Arashi. His soul is not as peaceful." He said simply.

"What's a Soul?" I asked.

He blinked, and then opened his mouth slowly, repeating several times until he had thought through his confusion. Finally, he spoke. "It would seem, that your education is not so complete as I had thought... I will make sure you receive the proper training and tutoring. For now, however, let us focus on the present."

"Understood." I nodded.

He nodded and set aside the telescope carefully, then sat on the windowsill. "So, what do you want to learn, first?"