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As Tidas repressed childhood memories of terror, Genie led him and Hang into an office. The room was smaller than all of the others he’d seen, but it had a comforting charm about it. Built-in bookshelves filled with books and ancient tomes lined almost the entirety of the room. A simple desk and chair with two chairs in front of it, and a rug that matched the floor were the only pieces of furniture.

Ralph, who had been quietly shadowing Tidas, stayed outside of the office with a few hidden ninjas that he pretended not to notice. He didn’t want to get involved in any drama, having had enough of it in the Highlands. After the door had been shut, Genie walked straight over to his desk.

A few knickknacks lined the front of it, most of which Tidas recognized. There were six in total, four of which had come from Skye. They were little things that she had made for him over the years, and one was from Tidas.

It was a kunai knife he had carved from wood by hand for Genie, for his thirty-fifth birthday. It was terrible looking and non-functional, but Genie had kept it all of these years. As he strode over with Hang trailing behind him, Tidas commented with a smile; “I can’t believe that you kept these!”

Genie smiled as he reached out for the only one that Tidas didn’t recognize, and said; “Of course. You two made these with your hearts and souls for me. I could never get rid of them. And they help to disguise this..”

It was a box with a tiny shield on it that looked normal, until Genie had opened the lid. It was clearly attached to the desk, and had a tiny switch inside. When he flicked it, a metal clicking noise ran out; metal shudders covered the single large window, then Tidas could hear was a subtle ringing.

When he focused his Tank magic on his ears, the ringing became unbearable, and he had to cut his magic off. When Tidas looked to Genie for answers, the man grinned mischievously as he stated; “I had a few friends do some research into anti-eavesdropping technology, then installed it around this room when it was completed. The frequency specifically targets Tanks, although it will also give a dog fits. It was expensive, but worth it for my piece of mind.”

While turning and glaring at Hang, Genie added; “I can say or do as I wish in this room, and nobody can bare witness except those already in here..”

.....

Tidas looked at Hang, who hadn’t even flinched at Genie’s not-so-subtle threat. He had the same haughty expression he usually had, and sat down in front of the desk without so much as batting an eye. The tension was so extreme in the room that Tidas couldn’t sit, and chose to stand instead.

Genie sat in his chair behind his desk, then stared at Hang for several seconds before speaking. His voice was stern, and his eyes shone with warning as he spoke in their native tongue..

“I will not mince my words with you: I do not approve of the way that you treat my niece. I tolerate your attitude for the sake of our families, but I have my limit. If you disrespect her again, I Will make sure that you are no longer a problem..”

Hang stared at Genie apathetically; “You can save your threats, Jin. If I want, I can have you banned from Sai indefinitely, and killed if you resist. You may be the Grandmaster of the Shinobi Corp, but your disciples will hold their oaths with higher regard than their untethered connections to you.”

Genie grinned; “Oh, you think so? Well, it wouldn’t do if everyone believed otherwise.. If you think your power is greater than mine: go ahead and give the order. See what happens-”

“Okay, I think that you two are getting off subject,” Tidas interrupted and locked eyes with Hang; “I know that you care for Mei, so what’s the problem?”

Hang snapped his head towards Genie; “So he doesn’t know then?”

Genie stared at Tidas a moment, then looked back at Hang; “No, and neither does Skye, fully. Mei was worried that you wouldn’t like those closest to her knowing the truth, so she’s only hinted at it to Skye. I doubt Tidas knows anything-”

“I’m standing right here,” Tidas stated, cutting Genie off mid-sentence.

“Did you know that my wife actively cheats on me?” Hang said with venom laced in his words.

“No more than you cheat on her,” Genie interjected with a raised voice.

Hang whipped his head back to Genie; “And who did it first? Who is the one who refuses to uphold her martial duties?! I tried for the first Two Years to make Mei happy, but I am not the one who can do that! Do you think I Like loving a woman who prefers another?! Do you think I seek out others for solace because my wife is an option?! If Mei would care for me even a sliver of how I do for her, then she would Never have-”

“Enough!” Genie bellowed as he shot out of his desk chair; “You knew that her heart belonged to another when you married her! Do Not blame Mei for being honest about her feelings!”

“I offered to refuse the marriage! SHE was the one who agreed!” Hang’s voice was filled with raw emotion as he and Genie continued their back and forth.

“How could she not?! She is a woman! You know how my Uncle and Aunt are! There was no way that she was going to let an attachment to the Zhao family go! You could’ve refused the match, and saved us All the pain, but you chose to-”

“Of course I did! I love her!” Hang screamed back as he slammed his fist down onto the desk.

“But she does not love You! And you knew that! Mei almost had her father convinced to let her join the Priesthood, but you just Had to dangle that contract in front of Sun Laos! You Knew that she would put pressure on my brother! How can you stand there and claim to love Mei when you’ve Doomed her to a life of heartbreak?!”

Hang froze at Genie’s harsh words, and a dense silence filled the room. Tidas looked between the two with an apprehensive expression, then spoke before Genie could continue; “I think you took it a step too far, Genie. Not all the blame can be placed on Hang..”

Seeing daggers in his eyes, Tidas elaborated; “Both families were pushing for the marriage, so the decision wasn’t completely his to begin with. It was Mei’s father that had the final say as well: He could’ve refused.”

Genie scoffed; “Then his position as head of the family would’ve been in jeopardy. The Lei Family needed the alliance with the Zhao, otherwise the Tokuga would’ve offered Hang their granddaughter. If they gained control over the Zhao clan’s fortune, then they could’ve had the backing they needed to reinstate themselves as the royal family. The Republic of Sai would died right then..”

Genie narrowed his eyes on Hang again; “But the Head of the Zhao family could’ve refused Both contracts! The choice was completely up to you, and you chose a woman already in love! Mei Told You!”

“My family was pushing me to chose between the two because they were the most advantageous matches! I may be the head of the main branch family, but that position is not written in stone until I produce an heir! No matter what I did, I would’ve had to choose between Mei and Senator Tokuga’s granddaughter!”

Tidas quirked an eyebrow; “How would the Tokuga gain control over the Zhao family’s fortune? I thought the men of each family controlled everything?”

The two looked at Tidas as Hang explained; “We do, but it’s about each family’s status. Due to the Tokuga clan’s ancestry, they would more or less absorb the Zhao family, and take over the majority of responsibilities: like distributing the family’s fortune. Right now, I control my family’s wealth even though Mei and I are married. Our families’ statuses are on the same level, so it’s more of a partnership than a takeover. But if I would’ve married into Tokuga’s granddaughter..”

“Then the Zhao family’s responsibilities would’ve transferred to the bigger power.. So it’s like business mergers,” Tidas commented, associating it with something he understood to grasp the concept.

Genie smirked; “Kind of, but that’s not the issue here: you still could’ve refused both offers.”

Hang glared at Genie; “So I should’ve jeopardize my position?!”

“If you truly did love Mei instead of covet her, then yes. I believe that you could’ve convinced your family that the better option would’ve been to find a lesser family to bolster your own.. But that’s not what you wanted, is it? You wanted Mei regardless of how she felt!”

Hang averted his eyes, which was akin to verbal admission to Genie and Tidas. His body language said guilty, and his words seemed hollow as he replied; “If not me, then someone else would’ve offered a contract that your family would’ve jumped at. Mei would’ve never been able to become a Priestess.”

Genie sighed, exhausted from their exchange already, and replied; “It is pointless to argue about the past now. What’s done is done, but you can still give Mei a happy life. She needs you to be a friend, not a husband. Do you understand that?”

“...That’s easier said than done, Genie. Haven’t you ever loved someone you knew that you shouldn’t?”

Genie’s eyes went wide for a split second, then his demeanor shifted nervously. Tidas didn’t know why, but he didn’t like the look Genie had when he’d glanced at him. Like he felt guilty..

Tidas pushed the feeling down like usual, and let the silence fill the room. After a few seconds, the three could hear the the faint sound of music coming from the direction of the door. Tidas and Genie looked unperturbed by it, but Hang was obviously concerned.

Thinking that he was soothing simple curiosity, Tidas said; “That is most likely my wife playing her violin. She always plays and dances when she attends gatherings like-where are you trying to go? The room is locked down.”

The moment the word ‘dancing’ had left Tidas’ lips, Hang was on his feet, and trying to open the door. He barked at Genie to unlock it, but Genie refused until he told them why he was in such a hurry to leave. After a loud huff, Hang walked over, flung the tiny box open, and flicked the switch before Genie could speak.

As Hang rushed back over to the door, Tidas followed closely behind. He threw open the door and strode down the hallway, his anger seemingly building the louder the music got. Tidas glanced passed a trailing Ralph to see if Genie had started to follow, but he was nowhere in sight..

When the banquet room came into view, Tidas asked why he was rushing so much. As the guards outside of the doors opened them in anticipation of the three entering, Hang replied; “To check on my family..”