Breakfast that day went well. Aside from Uruk's delicacies that never failed to satisfy you, King Lugalbanda was a good company. He was both child-like and matured, and was able to go along with people a thousand years younger than him.
His words of wisdom knocked some sense into you. That so, you vowed to always strive to keep your cool whenever you encounter the current king. There is no use in letting your personal grudges in the way of your duty. Right after the lovely meal, King Lugalbanda retreated back to his chambers while you made your way to the Royal Hall to get yourself used to your duties.
By the time you arrived, Gilgamesh was already sitting on his throne in his normal posture: elbows on the armrest and chin on his hand, uninterested and bored. You heaved a deep breath in order to clear your mind of any negative emotions before making your way to his side. He recognized your presence and tried not to open his eyes to look at you but failed to do so.
As you approached near, he opened his eyelids halfway just to see you pass in front of him. His eyes were met by the locally made fabrics wrapped around your body. It was the first time you wore Sumerian clothing and he's not going to lie to himself; you looked good.
For a moment, he wondered how your meal with his father went. Judging from the easiness of your aura, he figured it went well. He is also aware of the fact that you're starting to warm up with Siduri and Enkidu. Not like he cared, of course.
A short while later, Siduri arrived at the Royal Hall and the daily ceremony started. Several people fell in line and walked closer to the throne one by one, each giving a glance at you before proceeding with their reports. Some of the people knew you already. You knew you've been the talk of the town since yesterday—the two-man parade.
You mostly listened as there are a lot more things you are yet to learn about Uruk. Namely, it's economy and state of affairs. You've guessed that some of these people were from outside the wall, not that you've been there before. You've heard of places like Eridu, Ur, Kutha, Babylon, and Nippur. You wondered where those places are and can't wait to visit them.
You're guessing those who came from the farther areas haven't heard of you yet. Besides, Ticus is yet to officially announce you to the public. Speaking of the scribe, at the corner of your eyes, you saw him standing by the farther end of the line. Peeking from behind him, you saw Aloy and your eyes immediately gleamed at the sight of the boy.
It wasn't long before it was Ticus's turn. You saw a hint of hesitation in his eyes but he bravely moved forward. Clinging on his legs behind him is his son. Aloy's head was peeking out to look at you and the king. He cleared his throat before proceeding to read his tablet.
As he spoke of his last sentence, the conclusion of his article, you smiled. "The princess, enveloped in beauty and compassion, carried a heart of gold—a treasure among treasures who's certainly the best fit for the crown, and aid of the king for as long as she will hold her rule."
"Wonderful," you said. You glanced at Gilgamesh at the corner of your eye to see any violent reaction from him. Instead, you just saw him in his normal state. You turned back to face Ticus. "Thank you," you said. You looked towards Siduri, waiting for her to instruct orders.
The High Priestess cleared her throat as she looked at the tablet in hand. "If there are no further objections from the king..." she glanced at Gil for affirmation but all she saw was a king with his eyes closed. Having known him well, she knows he doesn't have any violent reactions whatsoever. "...then have those rewritten on the tablets and sent to every city."
Ticus finally let out the breath he's been holding in. He thanked Siduri, you, and the king before making his way. As Aloy followed his father, he turned his head to look at you one last time before waving his hands goodbye. You mirrored his gesture until they were nowhere in sight.
After everyone has been attended to and every report has been heard, you were led once again into the dining hall for lunch. This time, with Gilgamesh himself. The whole time, you both ate in silence. There was still tension in the atmosphere but you rather ignore it.
You also stopped yourself from glancing at him and looked everywhere but the blonde king despite wanting to confront him to stop looking at you. Although you aren't looking at him, you could feel his gaze upon you and as always, it felt troublesome. Upon remembering King Lugalbanda's words earlier, you went on to keeping yourself contained.
By the time you finished your meal, you were relieved by the fact that you no longer have to be in the same room as Gil. You hurriedly made your way to your room to fix yourself. Once done, you walked out to see Enkidui waiting for you. For today, he had planned to show you around the capital of Uruk.
Without further ado, the two of you went out. Due to the fact that they've seen you yesterday, you no longer walk the streets as if you have two heads. The fact that the public announcement has been made helps, too.
The children waved at you and you waved back with much more enthusiasm. Some were hesitant to approach you and some smiled at you although none went to approach you which was understandable. You don't want to rush them just as much as you don't want to be rushed.
***
In a dark room situated at the side of the walls, a crystalline ball was set upon the center of a table. The place reeked of magical energy that powers the ball to project the young queen's image into it. Around the table sat several people but the one that stood out the most was leaning on the wall. It was a man around his prime. Beside him, stood a lady: his daughter, who was around the same age as the subject of their discussion.
"So this is her? Magnificent! Truly magnificent! It makes her the perfect vessel for the goddess."
"I'm still against this idea for I think that such a human isn't fit to bear such divinity."
"What happens if it fails? We all know the gods won't be pleased. However glorious, what we're doing is also disrespectful."
"We can always just serve her to the gods as compensation. The gods won't deny such beauty."
As the men and women talked upon themselves, one turned to glance at the man by the wall. "Have you done your research?" The question was answered by a smirk as the man pushed himself off the wall. "I've sent my men to gather more information but for the meantime, we do know that she is the so-called Divine Child."
"What's up with that, anyway? What background does she have to prove that she is of divinity? We can't just summon the goddess to Uruk using an ordinary girl."
The man waved his hand dismissingly. "I assure you, she isn't ordinary," he said. "While waiting for my men to return, we always have our daughter to keep an eye on her at the ziggurat."
The said woman scrunched her nose up in response. She disliked the idea that these people would rather find someone else when she herself is a suitable fit for the goddess. Putting all those aside, she likes what she's doing and it's enough reason for her to play along with her father's schemes. For now, that is.