The ache in Ko's hips was quite suddenly translating to an ache in his head, and he reached to squeeze at the bridge of his nose. The focus was off of himself and Xiu Mei, which was a good thing, but he was rather afraid Zuma was going to launch into a tantrum and he was not sure he would be able to deal with her screaming. He was still unaware of what had transpired between Zuma and Sato, which was a very good thing for Zuma. Ko would have been beyond humiliated and have flown off the handle on the girl.
He breathed out a slow sigh and released the bridge of his nose. He shifted and attempted to remove Zuma from his lap, setting her beside him. It would be easier to talk that way, and all this talk had effectively removed the need for the pillow in his lap. He shifted his body to try and face her a bit more as he attempted to control his breathing and calm his temper. Zuma was going to drive him mad, he was sure of it.
He listened to Xiu behind closed eyes and nodded his agreement. "You are my sister, Zuma. I love you and I worry about you. Not everyone in this world is good, trustworthy or honorable. It is a sad thing that you cannot trust so easily, but you must guard yourself, your honor..." his voice softened as he added, as if it were the most important of the three, "and your heart." He paused again before adding, "And remember that you are royalty, people will talk, so anything that is done will quickly get back to father... and I." From his tone, it would be much better for it to get back to their Father than to Kozu.