She had been listening silently as he talked and they walked together, when he paused on the path she took a moment to slide her shoes off and set them down next to the path. Xiu always felt more grounded when she could feel the earth between her toes, she would need a good grounding if she was to process everything he was saying. He may have simply been venting but she thought it best to offer him what sensible help she was able to muster. "So you're saying that staying on at the Sword and Fan once your training isn't complete doesn't feel like what you were meant to do?" she squeezed the earth between her toes, looking down at them she she spoke to him. "My father would say that a man makes his own destiny." A man of course, never a woman and never Xiu. She would not give into those thoughts, the moment was about Kozu.
"You're probably not going to like me very much for saying this," she looked up at him and smiled. "But aren't you awfully young to be worried about your destiny? I mean I can understand your trepidation, and I could see myself behaving in the same way if I was in your situation, but why not enjoy being a Prince and being young? You know, be mindful of the future but not at the expense of the moment, and all that." she began drawing the symbol of the Earth Kingdom in the dirt, looking away from him. "Do what you want to do for once, not what is expected of you or demanded of you."
Many would have seen that as hypocritical, but even for all that was demanded of her, she mostly did as she liked. She knew how to work the system when she needed to. When the drawing was done she looked up at him and realized what she had been saying, "I'm sorry, I'm trying to fix things for you when I should just be listening. I told myself not to do that, I'm sorry."