Ambassador

... And the King.

"Azzy!" Anitha ran to the end of the long table, which faced perpendicular to the door, piled high with candles, bouquets and cold salads.

"My little Eminita!" The King exclaimed. He was sat on the floor by the widest fireplace, the one furthest away from the entrance. When she reached him, Anitha immediately curtseyed, not one to forget politeness. When she stood up, the King grabbed her gloved hands and looked her over with a surveying glance.

"How are you? You seem stressed." He didn't answer, but continued to study her dress and shoes. "Azz. Azzy." He at last met her eye. "You don't need to be stressed about it, whatever it is. You've got the entire court, nay country, behind you." He sighed.
"But also all of them to suspect, to protect," his eyes were like hers, deep and almond-shaped, but his had the beginning of wrinkles around the edges, a brown around the black pupil, and veins running through the white from a lifetime of stresses.

"As you always have done, always will do." He raised one black, perfectly shaped eyebrow. "And you needn't be suspicious of me at the leat, or Father. Or mother or your wife." Now his lips curled at the edges, the beginning of a smile. "See? You've so many more behind you, too. King Azzy"

"Uncle Azzy, Eminita. King Azzy is, for now, retired. Unfortunately the masses don't appreciate him as they do the famed Asmodeus." Some of the tension was relieved from him, despite what he said.

"Well, Az, no matter what your title, I can assure you that you'll always have an Eminita and a Demitri Kendrawithial by your side.

"...Sounds tiring." The king smiled broadly, and he pulled Anitha into a tight embrace. "But it seems that you are just as tired as I am? Still can't sleep?" She rolled her eyes but quietly mumbled in agreement. "It's not good for your health, Anitha. I can't come and visit your estate if there's no little girl there to greet me, can I?" She stuck her tongue out.

"Oh, stuff your 'little girl' crap."

At that moment, the door opened and in walked a third person. The mood immediately changed as he marked them both with a simple nod, signalling the start of the job. Keeping in etiquette was hard.

"We'd better sit down, your Majesty, Anitha."

"Of course, Father."

Author's note:
It's been a while since I published, apart from the chapter earlier today, sorry. I've been super busy and when I haven't been I've enjoyed writing scenes out of order - and I've just plucked up the courage to try and write in and edit some of the 'filler' scenes (Not that I've written masses, by any means!) So hopefully over the next few weeks I'll start publishing more regularly.

Thank you for reading this far in Ambassador!
- Frances xx