He could hear the soft crying as it echoed through the private sector of the castle. The cry came to his ears in huffs and chokes as if the one that was crying was trying very hard not to. As if they were trying to be brave, as if they too had been told tears were for girls. But it very well could be a girl, after all boys don't cry.

How was it that he, future Shogun Daryun of Palse aware of this? Because when he had done it often times before he'd been reprimanded by the two men he so much wanted to be like; his father and his uncle. How could he tell that the individual was trying to hold back? Because when no one was looking all the tears he'd tried to hold back would choke his breath until his ribs ached and his head pounded. He could not bear the pathetic looks his elders gave him when they suspected his girlish behavior.

Not even at his mothers funeral had he been allowed to shed tears, death was a fact of life, a person should celebrate that life not mourn its loss. Besides he was expected to be brave and carryon his duty to the crown so he should begin by learning the proper behavior of a Shogun now. And those lessons had begun a year earlier.

It was that sense of duty that made him search out the owner of the tears, to track them down and offer his assistance, after all it had been destined since birth that he was to be a Shogun like his father and his Uncle. So ingrained was his lectures on chivalry and duty that his little five year old mind could not perceive that he wasn't quite old enough to really do anything.

Coming to the corner of a dead-end hallway he could not see anything visibly making such noise but he could still hear a heavy sigh mingled with a sob. Staring down the long expanse of the hallway he stood very still listening. It was after a few moments that he could make out a flutter in the heavy damask curtains covering the large window at the far end.

Fear was not a factor as he moved steadily forward this after all was Palse, a well guarded and protected kingdom looked after by the gods themselves. His little mind concluded to that nothing scary could cry like that. It was a rather heart wrenching sound to hear even if it was forbidden for him to do.

Reaching the end of the hallway the sudden silence made Daryun stop, caution suddenly making his body very still. What if it was something scary behind those curtains, what if that 'something' used tears to lure him there. Swallowing back the urge to flee Daryun clenched and unclenched his tiny little hands, waiting for something to happen, another sound would definitely be nice.

"Momma, where are you?" By the gods his prayer was answered. A tiny whisper he could make out followed by a sniffle, or so it sounded. Tentatively reaching out his small hand he pulled back the damask burgundy curtains to discover a rather tiny child.

A bent head, a face curtained by long funny colored brown unrestrained hair, sat on the window ledge, tiny legs drawn up and the face hidden within the knees. The tiny little child that his mother would have described as skin and bone, quivered. The only thing left to fear was that it was some ogre disguising himself as a child to steal other little children.

Nonsense!

"Hello."

The child/ogre had not detected his presence or else he would not have jumped at the sound of his voice. With the raising of it's little head he knew it was no ogre before him. He'd just seen this long hair'd little girl just yesterday for the first time, trailing behind a veiled woman whose ankle length black hair had been the talk amongst the men since her arrival.

Now he could be brave. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm lost, I thought I went the right way and I can't find my momma." The child sniffled and stared at him with wide green eyes. The child trembled and the teeth chattered as if cold. The tiny face red and soaked with tears. The little girl had been crying for a while from all evidence.

"That's nothing to cry about."

"Who says?"

"I do. At least your momma lives so you can find her."

Furrowed brows seemed to be the response from the girl before him. Daryun knew his words were not kind. He had meant them to be. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant."

"You lost your momma? For good?" The little girl looked ready to burst into a fresh new set of tears.

"Here now." Daryun leant down and with his cape began wiping away the tears like he'd seen other momma's do. "Maybe I can help you find her. What is your name?"

"Narsus."

"But that's a boys name." His little mind halted at the word he could not help the surprise there.

"It's my name and I am a boy."

There seemed to be a little fire in the little boy's eyes at the sudden agitation but it quickly went away. "What is your name?"

"Daryun."

"Do you live here?"

"Yes. With my father and my Uncle." Satisfied that he'd gotten Narsus face dry he examined the tiny little face to assure himself of it. "Didn't anyone tell you boys don't cry?" When he saw the green eyes water again.

"Why?"

If he didn't know any better he could have sworn the green started changing to brown, shaking his head at the wonder of it he just shrugged. What could he say to the little boy, he had never really been told why boys don't cry? "They just don't."

"My momma say's it's okay."

"Of course, she's a girl." That comment got him a blank look.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Now it was his turn to be stumped. "I don't know."

Truth be known he didn't know the difference only that girls looked different. Prettier. Smaller. Possibly why he thought Narsus was a girl. Not to mention the hair, he'd never seen such long hair on a boy before. "Why do you have girls hair?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you know anything?"

"I know lots."

"Oh really?" That was a deciding factor remaining to be seen as Daryun decided to sit on the ledge of the window beside Narsus' drawn up legs. Mimicking movements he'd seen the males of his household do he swooped back his cape and sat with as much dignity as any five-year-old could. "Then tell me what it is you do know."

For a moment he thought his assumption correct, as he watched Narsus think about what he did know.

"I know I don't like it here."

"Shush...you shouldn't say things like that."

"Why?"

"This is the Kings own. He would be angry and then you would have lots to cry about." With a sense of satisfaction Daryun watched the boys eyes widen in fear. He should be afraid, very afraid. But for some reason he did not want Narsus to cry anymore, so he decidedly changed the subject.

"Do you ride?" Again those amazing eyes changed to a hue of green.

"Yes." An excited gleam in Narsus' eyes showed that he hit a very excitable spot for the boy. "Momma said she'd get me a new horse when we got here. I had to leave Galen at my poppa's."

Galen, Daryun assumed was Narsus' horse. "My uncle's sisters husband is a breeder. Maybe your momma can go see him it is where I got my horse, Zane."

"Really? I so miss Galen already."

"Well then maybe you and I can go riding sometime."

"That would be nice."

Daryun decided he rather liked the whimsical look in Narsus eyes far better then the sadness that was there moments before. "Would you like me to help you find your momma?"

"Oh would you? Please."

"Why yes. I shall not leave you here alone again."

For a reward which surprisingly Daryun decided he did not mind, Narsus flung his little arms around his neck giving him a tiny little hug and repeatedly saying 'thankyouthankyou' with much enthusiasm.

"Okay now. Promise no more tears. Tomorrow I will fetch you and show you how not to get lost again."