Genji raised an eyebrow.

"Kogi-chan wears a veil all over. She has a wonderful mind, but a wily seductress she is not." He poked a finger in her direction. "And I should know, my mother is the most beautiful woman in the land."

Shameless buttering up? Sure!

Keen strategist. Kinsen raises a smirk at the compliment. "Well, I didn't say seductress. I said seductive. Your father's mind is very alien to his brother's Bayushi. I wonder if he would approve."

Then, she opens her eyes and raises an eyebrow, "So far, I wouldn't and would advise against it. Have you ever seen her real face?"

"Hai." He replied simply. A bit more than that, but enve he wasn't going to all in on her mother.

"Perhaps, but...I love Father. He is wise, and bold, and brave, and powerful. Doesn't mean he's always right." He took another sip. "I spoke with Uncle Bayushi yesterday. Figured I haven't seen him in so long, and since it turns out he was here all along." He shrugged.

"Well, you're going to err greatly if you ever tell him that. Hantei-kami-dono is always right. Never forget that. If he's not right, he'll be soon. That's our duty."

She giggles a bit and comes closer to her son, asking while her eyes scan his face, "Show me how she looks like, so I can give my honest opinion."

Genji tensed a bit. "Perhaps, but if I am to truly take over for him, we are going to have a few more arguments about who was the rightest this time." He smiled. "And well..."

He shrugged. There was some tension in him as she came closer. "She....well." He let out a breath. "For me, she is ever beautiful, no matter the looks. She has suffered in the past, and it shows." He didn't want to go into too much detail just yet. "That is part of the reason of the veils, I believe."

"Un!" She says, still analyzing Genji's face to see when it would change to match to what she requested, "I can't see yet, but I do have the context. Unveil her so I can provide my blessing."

Genji sighed. "I will request her to do so." His voice was soft, yet firm. "If nothing else, I can ask her to meet us after Kazuo-chan's gempukku."

A slow smile spread, mischief evident in his eyes. "Perhaps it would do good for Father and Uncle Bayushi to meet again after so many years as well."

"Not fun." She pouts, and sits back in prude seiza to stop provoking her boy. "Well, if you won't do it, then I hope she will."

After a sigh, she turns head to look at him, "Gempukku at Kashouji. It is a good plan to introduce her. Make sure you and your uncle Bayushi are very well aligned in which sort of political advantage your father will get... not the opposite."

"Certainly. Discussions have already started." There was enthusiasm in his voice.

He let his eyes falter, then his hand reached out to her. "Neh, mother."

Kinsen smiles and closes her eyes again. She enterlaces his warm fingers with hers and, once again, she lets a sigh come out. One of satisfaction and warmth. "Neh, my Prince. My Shining Prince."

Another sigh and she holds a drop of moisture from her eyes to come, and says, "So, when did you two first meet and how was it?"

She chuckles, "When did she take your heart?"

Genji smiled. "On the wedding day, actually. She approached me at the reception, and we talked."

He fell silent, in thought. "The masked ball, I think."

She tightens the hand grip a bit and sighs again with a frown and a soft cry, "So I was the cupid and didn't even know."

Genji let out a low laugh.

"Seems like it, in a way."

She scoots closer once more. Still holding hands. Then rests her head on his shoulder for a moment as both look to the breakfast in front of them. "You better give me grandchildren soon."