Gando was quiet for some time as he reflected upon her words. He gazed down into his mostly empty tea cup as if hoping to find some sort of answer there. He seemed to decide that such an answer wouldn't be found in the last sips of his tea. He took a long sip and finished his tea. He then carried his empty cup over to a sink.<br/><br/>"I think you'll find out in time that Daishoga is not an evil man," Gando said. "But it is important to remember that even noble hearts can commit evil deeds. There is no such thing as black and white. That is simply reserved for the fantasy of human stories. In reality, it is never quite so simple."<br/><br/>Gando walked ofer to the window and drew it open so that he could look outside. There was a loud commotion. The envoy had arrived. He pursed his lip, but he didn't say anything. He simply shut the window again and then sat back down across from Sage. Once again, he studied her intently. Gando had been alive for a very long time. He had learned that it was often better to listen than to speak. The heart could only reveal its true intentions when the mouth spoke. He was quite adept at knowing when someone was lying to him or being dishonest.<br/><br/>The truly interesting thing about Gando was despite his obviously rich pool of abilities, he was not hated or fear as Daishoga was. But he kept mostly to himself. He only attended to things as they were necessary. And he had wanted to be the one to bring Sage to Daishoga so he could see. He wanted to see how the emperor would react when faced with such a woman as Sage. She had all of the extraordinary beauty of her grandmother.<br/><br/>"....I loved her, you know," Gando finally spoke again. "Your grandmother, I mean. She was a strong willed woman and despite my many years alive by then, she was far wiser than I despite being so young in comparison. Daishoga is too young to have met her so that's why he didn't know who you are. I suppose I should probably say I was truly your grandmother's husband in every aspect except the physical realm. But there are some bonds that don't need such things to be sustainable."<br/><br/>The only other person Gando spoke so freely around was Daishoga. But these stories would mean nothing to the emperor while they might hold some weight with young Sage.<br/><br/>"But enough of this reflection. I believe the emperor called you here to help me," Gando said. He got to his feet and stretched. "We're going to be going on a little trip into the village. It shouldn't take us too long, but it might. To be honest I didn't actually need your help. I only wanted the pleasure of your company. I was quite astonished when I first laid eyes on you. The resemblance is uncanny....Truly."<br/><br/>He smiled at her sadly.<br/><br/>"Some men would give up everything if they could live forever, but such a gift is also a curse. You watch everyone you know pass on. Even after centuries of life you think you learn not to build emotional ties and yet you keep falling in love. But these concerns are not yours, and I apologize for plaguing you with them, princess."