The heir of the Bat silently walked the halls of the palace. She studied the beams above as her fingers brushed against the wooden posts. She listened to the creak of the floorboards and took in the smell of the lacquer. She moved on down the corridor, lost in thought.

Kakita had become accustomed to Rei’s lapses into the recesses of her own mind and did not mind them in the least. He walked alongside her, making creaks in the wood as all such heavy animate objects do.

She was oblivious to him for a time, lost to another world. After a few minutes of wandering, one of his steps finally brought her out of her reverie.

"Oh! Kakita, good morning."

“Good morning Rei-sama.” He nodded a polite greeting.

“I trust you slept well?”

"I did." she smiled. "I was quite comfortable. And you, Kakita-san? Are you well rested?"

He smiled softly, “I am. The capital city beats sleeping on a rock on the side of the road.”

He looked out an open outer door they passed by, “How does the capital agree with your sensibilities?”

"It's... bigger than I'm used to." she spun around looking the halls over again. "Bigger than Shiro Ryoshun will be when it's finished. It gives me so many ideas."

He smiled softly and nodded, “Plenty of opportunity to see new things. It has been quite some time since I came to the capital.”

He looked out towards the city, “Do you know your cousin well?”

"Doji-san? Not really." she shook her head. "Togashi-san and Shinjo-san, however, I know fairly well."

He nodded, “Yes, I was referring to the bride-to-be.”

He asked, “Is this the first wedding you have attended?”

"No. We've had a few back home." she explained. "But, this is the first among my cousins that I've been present for.""

“How do you feel?” He asked.

“They say marriages are contagious... at least someone does somewhere.” He said with a smirk.

"I think that may be true." she sighed. "My time is coming. I think it would be best if I'm married before my mother moves on. There may still be a few years before that happens, but I am certain that dY is coming."

“And how do you feel about this certainty?” He asked with a kind tone.

"Conflicted." she admitted. "I know my father is waiting for her and she longs to be with him. Nao-chan is still so young, though. Regardless, finding someone for myself will be an interesting challenge."

“One I am sure you will succeed at. Children of the kami are exceptional. And you no different.” He said with confidence.

"You have a flattering tongue, Kakita-san. You may be more suited to be here than I am." she grinned. "I am grateful to have you."

He shook his head, “Flattery is for the self-interested. I have seen my fair share of you and your cousins and you have everything to be confident in.”

She shrugged. "I'm more comfortable with wood and stone and the Void than I am with other people. With some exceptions, of course. The sooner this wedding is finished and we can return home, the better."

“I will ensure other people do you no harm. You merely need to be yourself. I made a promise to your mother to see you safely back home. You will be back to them soon enough; I keep my promises.” He replied warmly.

“Enjoy yourself if you can. It is a celebration after all.”