"I'm glad to hear it." Samuel said, managing to muster up a smile despite still being a little miffed at the blonde royal who chose to stay in the music room. He was glad the lady from Kyoku did not take Jasper's remarks too seriously. But still, the nerve of that guy! It's as if his attitude got worse and worse each year.

The youth had long since given up trying to figure out what the cause of his behavior was since he hadn't always been that way. A few times before, Samuel had tried asking Jasper directly. Unfortunately, his patience with his friend usually ran out before he could learn anything. This always left the duke with regret and frustration. Eventually he learned that it was better to just avoid Jasper as much as he could. It was an option more preferable than fighting, that's for sure.

Samuel decided that it wouldn't do him any good to dwell on such thoughts. Thankfully, he had Ai to distract him. In truth, her charming smile alone was enough to lift his spirits. When she lifted her bright brown eyes to him for a moment, he realized that it was the first time he had truly looked at her. Had she always been this lovely? Samuel could hardly remember what he first thought of her when they initially met in Kyoku. The light rosiness on her cheeks only helped to accentuate her soft lips. It was enough to make his heart skip a beat.

Upon the princess' comment on how she was glad to have spoken with him again, Samuel's thoughts were abruptly pulled back down to earth. "I was surprised as well...," was all he managed to say before they entered the kitchen. Of course, his short conversation with Ai was enough to keep him from noticing the voices coming from the kitchen until it was too late.

'That stupid war cry...it can't be!'

Alas, it was. Before the young man knew it, an outstretched arm knocked him back with the force of a bull. But instead of falling down, as was often the result of the purple-haired man's 'clothesline' move, Samuel found himself being lifted into the air. Now suspended above the brutish emperor's head, he was certain the idiot was going to throw him across the room.

"Lord Phoenix! I implore you, put me down at once!" he called out, his arms flailing wildly in an attempt to grab hold of his attacker, but to no avail. But he knew communicating with him while he was in one of his berserk states would be difficult. Of the three childhood friends, one could easily say that Zamir was the most passionate about things. Indeed, he put great zeal into whatever he set his heart to which at times was a little too much. The ease with which he could get so enthusiastic over a matter, good or bad, sometimes led to him working himself up into a frenzy. And things only ever turn out for the worst when he gets drunk.

Whatever the reason was this time for his ridiculous behavior, Samuel was having none of it. "Lord Phoe-gah! Zamir! I thought you said you weren't going to do things like this anymore!! What about your stupid 'vow of non-violence' that you made two years ago?!" Panic was now evident in Samuel's voice as he had been stuck in this embarrassing predicament for a few seconds now, and that was far too long. "Zamir! Zamir put me down now or so help me!! ZAMIR!!!"