"See that you do not," he offered with that gentle teasing again. It felt nice, walking with a friend like this, and his mind was collecting itself enough to where he could be comfortable with Xiu again. He paused when they at last reached the palace again, tempted to linger outside but thought better of it and led them toward Xiu's room and the over sized bouquet within.
"Of course," he assured, voice soft as she spoke of not spreading things around. He wanted to assure her she could trust him with her thoughts. He frowned as she spoke, pressing his lips into a line as he thought it all over. "...well, then, at least in that aspect, your father is a fool." It was perhaps a harsh statement, but it should have been obvious how capable Xiu was. He turned to face her, he reaching to take her hands in his own rough ones without fully thinking. "You know I will do anything I can to help you." The words came out before he even realized he was speaking, dark eyes seeking hers.