Post by Katty on Nov 11, 2011 23:19:24 GMT 10
Title: Diplomacy
Rating: G
Words: 805
Prompt: Lost (#54)
Summary: Zahir deals with the complications of being the King's squire.
Note: For Isha! Thank you to Rosie for betaing, especially since this ended up being much longer than expected.
“What are you doing?” came a voice from behind. Zahir spun around, ready to tell off another nosy servant interrupting him. Instead, he saw a young girl of eight, peering curiously into the room. With her pink dress and dark curls, she looked like one of the dolls his sister had played with as a child.
“Your Highness,” he greeted her, and bowed. It was the youngest princess, Vania. “May I be of service?”
She eyed him with suspicious brown eyes. “Who are you, and where is my father the King?” she asked. “Why are you in his study?”
“I am his squire, Zahir Ibn Alhaz, Your Highness.” He didn’t add that he had only been the King’s squire for a week. Zahir fought the urge to tap his foot impatiently. He was in a hurry, but she was his knightmaster’s daughter - and a princess of the kingdom - so he had to maintain proper decorum. “He is in a meeting, and has sent me to find a document for him,” he paused, not really wanting to admit his difficulty. “I cannot find it.”
Vania stepped into the room a little further. “What does it look like, Squire Zahir?” She kept her hands behind her back, surveying him with a curious expression.
Zahir wanted to snap that he had never actually seen the document, but held his tongue. “It is a rolled up scroll, tied with ribbons and a red seal,” he said patiently. “About this big.” He held up his hands to demonstrate.
The princess flushed bright red. “Is it this?” she asked, producing a rolled up document from behind her back. The document fit the King’s description; Zahir sighed with relief.
“That is it exactly, Your Highness,” he said. “May I have it?” He held out his hand to take the document, and the princess quickly pulled it out of his grasp.
Vania smiled at him, the picture of innocence. “No, Squire Zahir,” she said. “I need it.” She took a step backwards.
Zahir wondered for a moment whether he should risk trying to snatch it off the child. “The King needs it urgently,” he said. “Please give it to me.”
The princess shook her head, black curls bouncing from side to side. “I told you, I need it.”
The squire stared at her. “Why do you need it?” he cried, exasperated. “It is an important document of State, not a toy!” Perhaps he could pick the princess up and simply carry her – complete with the scroll - to the King’s meeting. She did not look big enough to make much of a fuss, and it probably wasn’t treason.
Vania frowned at his outburst. “I am holding it hostage,” she said calmly. “You cannot have it until you meet my demands.”
“Hostage?” Zahir repeated, disbelieving. He briefly sent a prayer to the gods that the Contes weren’t all this mad; both for his sake, and for that of the kingdom.
“Jasson taught me about it,” the princess said proudly. “If I have something that people need, they have to give me something I want to get it back.”
“Do I have something you want, Your Highness?” Zahir asked. When the King had asked him to be his personal squire, he had never imagined it would involve being held to ransom by an eight-year-old girl.
“No,” Vania replied. “But my father does.” She pointed to a high shelf on the opposite side of the room. “He took my favourite doll from me, and I want it back. I cannot reach it.”
Zahir could easily reach the doll, and was relieved to finally see a way out. “If I give you the doll, will you give me the document?” he asked carefully.
The girl beamed. “Yes,” she replied.
Zahir crossed the room, plucked the doll from the shelf and took it to her. Hopefully the King would not notice. “Here you are, Your Highness.” Vania took the doll in a manner that would have been called snatching in a less-well-bred child. She offered the scroll to Zahir, who accepted it. “Thank you,” he said.
Vania held her hand out to him. He stared at it, before realizing she expected him to kiss it. Feeling ridiculous, he bent over and kissed her small hand. He racked his brain, trying to remember if Prince Roald had ever been this difficult to deal with.
The princess hugged her doll tight. “Jasson is right, diplomacy is fun!” Vania said. “Good-day, Squire Zahir.” She skipped off out the door and down the hallway.
Zahir sagged against the wall for a moment, closing his eyes and feeling exhausted. Then, remembering the King was waiting for him, he shook himself awake and sped off towards the Council Rooms.
It was going to be an interesting four years.
Rating: G
Words: 805
Prompt: Lost (#54)
Summary: Zahir deals with the complications of being the King's squire.
Note: For Isha! Thank you to Rosie for betaing, especially since this ended up being much longer than expected.
“What are you doing?” came a voice from behind. Zahir spun around, ready to tell off another nosy servant interrupting him. Instead, he saw a young girl of eight, peering curiously into the room. With her pink dress and dark curls, she looked like one of the dolls his sister had played with as a child.
“Your Highness,” he greeted her, and bowed. It was the youngest princess, Vania. “May I be of service?”
She eyed him with suspicious brown eyes. “Who are you, and where is my father the King?” she asked. “Why are you in his study?”
“I am his squire, Zahir Ibn Alhaz, Your Highness.” He didn’t add that he had only been the King’s squire for a week. Zahir fought the urge to tap his foot impatiently. He was in a hurry, but she was his knightmaster’s daughter - and a princess of the kingdom - so he had to maintain proper decorum. “He is in a meeting, and has sent me to find a document for him,” he paused, not really wanting to admit his difficulty. “I cannot find it.”
Vania stepped into the room a little further. “What does it look like, Squire Zahir?” She kept her hands behind her back, surveying him with a curious expression.
Zahir wanted to snap that he had never actually seen the document, but held his tongue. “It is a rolled up scroll, tied with ribbons and a red seal,” he said patiently. “About this big.” He held up his hands to demonstrate.
The princess flushed bright red. “Is it this?” she asked, producing a rolled up document from behind her back. The document fit the King’s description; Zahir sighed with relief.
“That is it exactly, Your Highness,” he said. “May I have it?” He held out his hand to take the document, and the princess quickly pulled it out of his grasp.
Vania smiled at him, the picture of innocence. “No, Squire Zahir,” she said. “I need it.” She took a step backwards.
Zahir wondered for a moment whether he should risk trying to snatch it off the child. “The King needs it urgently,” he said. “Please give it to me.”
The princess shook her head, black curls bouncing from side to side. “I told you, I need it.”
The squire stared at her. “Why do you need it?” he cried, exasperated. “It is an important document of State, not a toy!” Perhaps he could pick the princess up and simply carry her – complete with the scroll - to the King’s meeting. She did not look big enough to make much of a fuss, and it probably wasn’t treason.
Vania frowned at his outburst. “I am holding it hostage,” she said calmly. “You cannot have it until you meet my demands.”
“Hostage?” Zahir repeated, disbelieving. He briefly sent a prayer to the gods that the Contes weren’t all this mad; both for his sake, and for that of the kingdom.
“Jasson taught me about it,” the princess said proudly. “If I have something that people need, they have to give me something I want to get it back.”
“Do I have something you want, Your Highness?” Zahir asked. When the King had asked him to be his personal squire, he had never imagined it would involve being held to ransom by an eight-year-old girl.
“No,” Vania replied. “But my father does.” She pointed to a high shelf on the opposite side of the room. “He took my favourite doll from me, and I want it back. I cannot reach it.”
Zahir could easily reach the doll, and was relieved to finally see a way out. “If I give you the doll, will you give me the document?” he asked carefully.
The girl beamed. “Yes,” she replied.
Zahir crossed the room, plucked the doll from the shelf and took it to her. Hopefully the King would not notice. “Here you are, Your Highness.” Vania took the doll in a manner that would have been called snatching in a less-well-bred child. She offered the scroll to Zahir, who accepted it. “Thank you,” he said.
Vania held her hand out to him. He stared at it, before realizing she expected him to kiss it. Feeling ridiculous, he bent over and kissed her small hand. He racked his brain, trying to remember if Prince Roald had ever been this difficult to deal with.
The princess hugged her doll tight. “Jasson is right, diplomacy is fun!” Vania said. “Good-day, Squire Zahir.” She skipped off out the door and down the hallway.
Zahir sagged against the wall for a moment, closing his eyes and feeling exhausted. Then, remembering the King was waiting for him, he shook himself awake and sped off towards the Council Rooms.
It was going to be an interesting four years.
It's a wonderful first-meeting, and Vania's 'diplomacy is fun' line was just awesome. ♥ 
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!