Yun scowled at the shop.
It had been taunting her for the better part of the day.
Glittering objects were laid out on the tables just outside it with more shimmering danglies hanging from the doorway, and strange scents wafted out from within. She could see other objects through the windows, strange statues and bits of clothing, pieces of jewellery, and other interesting, pretty things that seemed to call her name.
Yun gave an irritated huff and turned up her nose, crossing her arms over her thin chest and starting back down the path she'd come. Nope. She was not interested! She'd just ended up here for the third time that day by mistake! This place was big and new; it was easy to get lost. It was all coincidence.
Right...?
Her mother had always told her that nothing was coincidence, but some things had to be! That shop was owned by a Serenian; she'd caught a glimpse of the pig-skinned flesh-eater with her unnatural blue hair. No way she was going in there and giving her her business! There was nothing in there that she was interested in.
Though would it really be "business" if she just...looked? A little?
Yun eyed the building out of the corner of her eye, pausing in mid-stride.
Earlier, she'd heard the woman shouting her wares, claiming she had things from all over the world. But pfft, Yun wasn't curious. Why would she be curious about the barbaric mainland? It was probably all junk in that shop, anyway, and they had all they needed right here.
...But a little look-see couldn't hurt. And she was lost with plenty of time to kill. It could be really super quick and everything! The shop probably wouldn't be open much longer; dusk was approaching now, the shadows growing longer. It was a good thing she'd at least found her inn before she'd decided to explore and get lost, otherwise she could have been stuck carrying around her traveling gear. Now all she had was her sword, sheathed and carried carefully over her shoulder; she didn't dare leave it out of her sight, even if no innkeeper she knew of would dare disrespect a Warrior.
Fine...
With a sigh, she turned and headed back toward the shop, slowly. One little peek and then she could get on with her life!
It had been a long day for Avrei. Between the monks and the various other local officials the majority of her day had been spent cooped up in temple in meeting after meeting, most of which she saw little importance in. Only one of them had actually been about a matter that had needed to be addressed as soon as possible. The others however had boiled down to either trivial matters that in her eyes didn't really need her input, or locals looking to score points with the Maharani or lobby favors from her.
Needless to say she was happy it was over and done, and that she finally had some time to herself.
Admittedly Jin'ta was not one of her favorite cities in Thanatos, though despite being a haven for some of the more uncivilized individuals in the nation it did serve its purpose. The benefits they had reaped through trade with the mainland had been more than enough to tolerate such a blemish on their island. It also didn't hurt that temple at center of the city had made great strides to prevent such boorish behavior from spreading further inland. Without it who knows how much their society might have devolved over the years.
Her visit to the port city was to be a short one, lasting only a few short days attend to the locals before returning to Suna. She was also very familiar with its sights, having spent a good amount of time there during her apprenticeship purchasing cadavers and other pieces of flesh to satisfy her mother's exotic tastes in research materials. Since becoming Maharani she had made a conscience effort to walk through the city whenever she was able to in hopes of providing a good example for the more uncouth inhabitants.
Unfortunately her hopes for making a difference weren't exactly high.
As she walked through the city streets she was followed closely by her persona guard. The taller half Serenian warrior walked in her customary position one step behind and to the right of her, dressed in red and gold fabric signifying her position. In her hands Avrei also carried the girl golden furred monkey who seemed more interested in picking at her braids than where they were going.
They had been walking for little over half an hour since leaving the temple, and aside from the occasional gazes people of the temple caste tended to get not much had taken place. As they came around a corner however something would catch the Maharani's eye. There in front of a store were several foreign looking trinkets neatly laid out on a small table. Normally Avrei had little use for such things but every now and such stores were home to objects of a spiritual nature, often times without the owner even realizing it. As a collector the potential alone was enough to warrant a visit.
As she neared something else would pique her curiosity. It seemed that a young warrior also taken an interest in the store and she looked as the girl entered. How interesting. Another collector perhaps? Or maybe she was just curious about the mainland? There certainly didn't seem to be any disturbances coming from the shop, though she couldn't be too sure about it.
In any case both she and her escorts made their way over to the shop, briefly having a closer look at the ornaments laid out on the table before entering.
The door jingled as Yun stepped inside and the Serenian woman cheerfully greeted her, but Yun only grunted noncommittally in response. Just a quick look around and then she'd be done, curiosity sated! She was not about to get into a conversation with one of these people!
She headed toward the back of the shop, ready to start there and work her way up so as to avoid further awkwardness, and found herself distracted with some beautiful glass statues. She couldn't read what they were or where they were from; the description was written with foreign characters. Huffing, Yun moved to a table displaying silver jewellery inlaid with gemstones of all different colors and had just reached out to touch it when the door jingled again.
Yun jerked her hand back guiltily and stole a glance toward the front of the shop as though she'd been caught doing something naughty.
And then she just about died.
A woman entered.
A woman dressed in rich red and gold.
A woman flanked by two others.
Yun would have been an idiot not to recognize another of the Temple caste, yet one so high above her in stature. From the looks of how she was dressed, this woman had power.
Face heating, Yun whirled so her back was to her and pretended to be engrossed in the jewellery. Oh goodness. Oh jeez. Etiquette had never been her strong suit and she wasn't sure how on earth to act around her!
Avrei took a brief look around the shop as she stepped through the door, taking in what she could with a glance. From what she saw the owner was Serenian which led her to believe that most of the items inside probably were as well. She also noticed that the warrior who had entered before her was busy looking at what appeared to be jewelry.
Her behavior was odd though.
Most people, warrior or not would have gone out of their way to greet her with a bow. She was the Maharani after all. And yet the girl hadn't even acknowledged her. She couldn't even say that the girl hadn't noticed her entrance. She had clearly seen her head turning away when she first caught sight of her. It was suspicious to say the least.
Avrei couldn't help but wonder if the girl had something against her. Or worst, could she be up to something dishonorable like theft!? Surely that couldn't be the case... could it? Such behavior would never be tolerated, especially not from one of the Temple's warriors. However as rare as they were it wouldn't be the first case she had heard of, and if the girl really intended to engage in such activity something had to be done. The shame it would bring to the temple could not be allowed.
After taking a moment to greet the owner, and graciously dismissing her efforts to escort her around the store Avrei made her way toward the back of the store. The entire time she kept the warrior in her sight, only glancing away occasionally to feign interest in the various trinkets she passed. Once she was close enough she stepped beside the girl, and briefly looked down at the jewelry laid out on the table before turning to face the girl.
"Greetings," she said politely with a smile, lowering her head slightly. "I don't believe I have seen you around here before. Are you new by chance?" Avrei didn't recall ever seeing this girl before during her previous visits to Jin'ta, but she was young and there was the chance that she had only recently been stationed in the city. Still she had to keep her eyes on her. At least until she was sure the girl didn't plan to shame herself and the temple.
Dammit! She'd been seen! Of course, Yun had been foolish to think she wouldn't be noticed, but one could hope. The absolute last thing she wanted was to commit some social taboo and shame herself and everyone she knew!
Of course she'd been schooled in etiquette, but this was different! And she couldn't help but over-think the situation.
Jerking around, eyes wide, Yun stared at the woman for a second before her brain switched back on. Turning around completely, she swept into a deep bow, far lower than the woman to acknowledge her higher rank. "I-it's an honor!" she blurted, before slowly rising. She forced herself to look at her face so as not to be rude, even though she felt oddly guilty despite having committed no crime.
"I'm...kinda new, yeah! Um, first time here, if that's what ya mean." Balls, she was horrible at awkward small talk! Well, maybe it was safe enough to return the question? "What about you? Oh! Right, I'm Yun. Yun Zhong."
The girl was nervous. That much was pretty clear to Avrei, though whether it was because she was up to something or she was just nervous and inexperienced she couldn't say for sure. For all she knew it could have been a bit of both. Still she made an effort to not show her doubts about the girl's intentions. It wouldn't have been proper etiquette to do so, especially since she had no real evidence.
Instead she simply offered the girl a friendly smile when she gave her name."It is a pleasure Yun Zhong. I am Avrei Dhyti." It was rare that she had to introduce herself to someone, especially to someone of the Temple caste. Most were able to recognize her without too much trouble, but she couldn't really fault the girl for not being able to. She was young and had said that she wasn't around there after all.
"And I have actually spent a fair amount of time in this city as a child," she continued, answering the girl's question. It was a bit of an odd one, but she answered nonetheless. There also wasn't a hint of haughtiness in her voice as she spoke. While she hadn't quite expected the question she also didn't like to stifle curiosity in her people. After all curiosity was often the first step to learning about new things.
With that said her gaze returned to table in front of them, taking a closer look at the various trinkets. "So tell me, has anything caught your eye?"
Yun smiled politely. "It's nice to meetcha too, Avrei--WHAT?!"
Everything clicked in that moment and her eyes nearly popped out, they were so wide, her mouth dropping open in a hybrid of horror and shock. Avrei Dhyti! The Avrei Dhyti! As in the bloody Maharani herself! Of course she knew the Maharani's name, and she had some idea of what she looked like from paintings and now, with the woman's name hanging in the air, she could see the resemblance though it had taken time to match the painting to the real person. And never mind that! She'd never in her life believed she would be standing before the Maharani, much less here!
The blood drained from Yun's face and, with a squeak, she dropped into a bow so low that her topknot nearly touched the floor.
"Ah! I'm so sorry, Your Grace! I didn't recognize ya!"
Avrei couldn't help but suppress a giggle at the Yun's reaction, choosing to only smile in order to be polite. The girl was certainly proving to be a lively one, even if she had been a bit over the top in her apology. She definitely had some room left for refinement of course, but Avrei was beginning to like her. The Temple would've been a much more interesting place if there were more people like her around.
Unfortunately her doubts about the girl's intent still remained, and her outburst easily could have been the result of guilt. But Avrei would keep an open mind. Until she learned otherwise she would have to assume Yun's intentions were pure. It was only right.
"It is alright child. You have done nothing wrong." she replied, her tone warm and gentle. She also knelt beside the girl and held out her arms a bit to indicate that she wanted her to stand. "Now rise. I would hate to see you ruin your hair for my sake."
Slowly, Yun rose and gave the Maharani a shaky, sheepish grin, feeling like a total idiot now. Oh jeez. She must seem so stupid right now! And she'd behaved so disrespectfully! Even though Avrei told her she'd done nothing wrong, it didn't help the mortification she felt.
She gave a nervous laugh and reached up to fiddle with her hair, checking to make sure it hadn't come loose. Oh, monkey piss! She was talking to the Maharani! She found herself playing with her hair far longer than was necessary, trying to stall as her mind raced and grappled with this new, freakish situation.
Okay, Yun! You can do this! You can carry on a big girl conversation with the most powerful woman in the nation. Yeah! You got this! You can totally have a conversation with another human being like every other normal person without saying something horrifically stupid! You will not shame yourself and your family and your ancestors and your ancestor's ancestors all in one fell swoop! But what do you talk about? Hair? She mentioned hair. Yeah, hair's good, hair's safe. Whew. Okay. Ready? Go.
Yun gave another laugh. "Hah, that's nothin'! Wanna talk ruinin' hair? When I was little I gave myself a haircut. That's ruinin' hair!" She paused, bit her lip. "Er. Your Grace."
The instructors all seemed to be on a kick to send their students on field lessons this month. Normally, Kiew would be alright with this. Walking outside, either amongst the bustle of people, meditating in a field, or scouring dusty scrolls in a library were all preferable to staying in those drab classrooms for hours.
But, whereas her friends' assignments could all be completed within Sunta, Kiew was tasked to travel to Jin'ta in search of a particular scroll. Easy enough, as her father did some business here and she knew the streets, but it was still incredibly annoying to be separated from them for a week.
But, a task was a task. If there was any place to start looking it would be this strange store.
The door bell jingled as she entered the shop, a paradoxically foreign-looking Thaneti, her hair complete covered in a thick cream-colored wrap and a large leather pack of scrolls slung over her back. The small crowd didn't immediately catch her eye. She talks to the woman behind the counter, pegging her for a Serenian and asking in Common for any manner of mythology-related scrolls she had for sale. Luckily, just as about any "miscellaneous merchandise" store, there were always at least a dozen lying about. The trick was figuring out which were written genuinely and which were made up to profit on the store owner's ignorance.
The scrolls were in the back (typical, as scrolls didn't make for good display pieces unless their cases were made from jade and gold, it seems), so Kiew turned to head in that direction after thanking her.
And there was the Maharani.
She was engaged in conversation with someone, and that someone was fumbling harder than a hungry fool trying to catch a greased pig. This would make Kiew look even better when her turn to speak came.
Kiew snuck-shuffed over to a nearer side-point and either waited to be acknowledged or for an advantageous opening.
"I suppose it would be, wouldn't it," Avrei replied, making an effort to keep her expression neutral and composed. Yun's response had easily been among the oddest she had ever received. It alongside of her gestures had also been proof that the Maharani's efforts to calm her hadn't exactly been successful. If anything she seemed even more nervous than before.
Maybe a new approach would help?
After giving it some thought she decided that maybe a change of topic would a good thing. Her eyes briefly wondered around the room before falling on the jewelry in front of them once more. That's right. The girl had not answered the question she had asked earlier, had she. Perhaps it would be the perfect topic to remove the awkwardness of their situation.
"I noticed that you were looking at these pieces of jewelry earlier," she continued, motioning toward the table once more. "Has any of them in particular caught you eye?"
As Avrei tried her best with Yun her bodyguard had been busy scanning the store, keeping track of all who came and went. Only one person had entered since they had arrived, a young girl carrying a large leather sack. The girl seemed innocent enough so Kyale decided not to bother her for now. She did however keep an eye on her since she seemed to be coming in their direction just in case she proved to be a treat.
Kiew adjusted the strap that wrapped multiple times around her waist and shoulder, keeping the scrolls firmly at her back. Waiting was the hardest part of this encounter. They'd exchange pleasantries and Kiew would introduce herself and her father's name, and the Maharani would say something along the lines of 'How nice.' and Kiew would tell ehr where she goes to school and why she was in town and then--
The guard was sizing her up. As soon as their gaze met, Kiew went into a deep bow.
"Huh? Jewellery? Oh! Uh." Yun snapped her attention to the pieces she'd been pretending to look at. Though she'd been staring at them, she hadn't actually seen them because her mind was too focused on staying unnoticed.
Now she looked back at the pieces and actually saw them.
And she saw that, actually...they were quite beautiful.
For a moment she stared at the pieces, eyes flicking over each of them in turn and then, because it felt like she had to choose, like it was a super important and crucial decision because the Maharani herself had asked her for her opinion, she pointed out her favorite of the bunch.
"That one's really pretty," she said. It was a pendant done in silver and jade of a mermaid, the jade making up the mermaid's tail. That done, she looked back up at the woman. "What about y--oh. Hey."
That was when she noticed the other girl, who was now bent in a deep bow. "I think someone wants ya," Yun said, nodding behind the Maharani.
"A fine choice," Avrei said as she carefully studied the pendent that Yun had pointed to. It was a beautiful piece indeed, finely crafted and elegantly designed. She would have to commit its appearance to memory. It would make a nice gift for the girl. As Maharani she liked to keep her people happy, and a little gift every now and then did wonders.
When the girl asked about her she had a closer look at the table. She actually hadn't had a chance to look the jewelry over herself either, and she was pleasantly surprised at what she saw. She might just have to buy something for herself as well.
Just as she had finally settled on which one she liked the most the girl mentioned something about someone wanting her. "Oh?" She looked up at Yun before turning to face the bowing girl. Avrei didn't recognize her, but both she and her guard returned the gesture. She then offered the girl a gentle smile before speaking, curious as to what it was that she wanted.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
Kiew rose and clasped her hands at her waist.
"Most Gracious Maharani, it would bring me great honor to simply introduce myself," she said with utmost calculation. "I am Kiew Gui-La, daughter of Po Shan Gui-La, and betrothed of Yin Tong. I am studying to be a Soul Speaker...in fact, I am here on assignment from my instructor. But, I do not wish to bother you with such matters. What I do seek is a simple autograph, if it pleases you."
Kiew bowed once more and awaited a response with a soft grin. Her gaze momentarily shifts to the girl who the Maharani has been looking over jewelery with -- she looked like a frail warrior, but Kiew knew better than to read a scroll by its cover, and she had such pretty hair --before returning to the Maharani.
Yun breathed a silent sigh of relief when the Maharani's attention left her and focused on the new girl--though the relief was quickly replaced with a rush of embarrassment and jealousy.
Whoa! How the--! What a show off! Luckily the Maharani's back was to her because Yun's mouth dropped open and her cheeks colored as she got to witness for herself how smooth and elegant of an introduction this girl performed and was painfully, painfully aware of her own bumbling failure.
Well now she just looked stupid! Thanks, random new girl! Thanks.
Avrei had listened to the girl's introduction, and she was definitely the polite type. She also had recognized her unlike Yun. For the most part her introduction was a fairly typical formal one though, and the only thing that really stood out to the Maharani was the fact that the girl was studying spirit speaking. It was always nice to meet young people who were interested in spirits.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Kiew," she replied as she raised her head to get a better look at the girl. "And I would gladly sign whatever you would like me to." Avrei had never really understood what value there was in her autograph. To her it was nothing more than a mark. But still it was a simple enough request, one that she could easily fulfill. Plus she had nothing to lose by giving it so it was only polite to comply.
Kiew smiled widely. "Thank you very much, Your Graciousness." She slung her pack under arm and fished for a neatly rolled scroll, tied with yellow thread. She presents the parchment to one of the Maharani's guards, as one does not simply hand things to the Maharani herself.
The scroll itself was not that long. Upon opening, it would be seen that Kiew had sectioned off every inch of it for the signatures of various famed and acclaimed people. There were a number of slots filled, mostly notable Maoins, but also a few Warriors. The Maharani's designated space, naturally, was at the top.
"Oh," she exclaimed. Kiew pulled her pack around to her chest and dug in deep, losing her entire arm in its depths. She pulled out quickly, however, having pulled out a calligraphy brush, followed by a very small, wooden capsule, its top tied off with thread and linen.
"May I trouble anyone for a small touch of water for the ink?"
Yun crossed her arms over her chest. Jeez, this girl was making her look worse and worse. How was it that she knew just what to say?! And now she was whipping out that rather...impressive...collection of signatures. Yun's eyes briefly scanned the parchment, and she just about died when she recognized some of the bigger names.
Who was this girl?
With a small huff, Yun looked away. "Don't look at me," she said. "I ain't got any."
Avrei nodded before taking the parchment from her guard and having a look at it. It was actually a pretty impressive list of signatures the girl had collected, even if she still didn't quite understand what worth they had. Kiew also seemed to have planned to get her own for some time, having designated a specific spot for her at the very top.
Honestly she didn't quite know how to feel about that, but she decided not to say anything about it.
When the girl asked for water the Maharani shook her head. "Sorry, but I do not have any either." After taking a brief moment to think she decided that the shopkeeper might have had some. Usually they kept some to clean up after closing, as well as to drink during the day. She was sure the woman wouldn't mind giving a small amount.
"Perhaps the owner of this shop would have some," she suggested before turning her attention back to Yun. "Would you like my mark as well?" She didn't really know it the girl had any use for her autograph, but she felt a little guilty not at least asking.
"Excellent idea, Your Graciousness." Kiew went to the shop owner and politely asked for any source of water she had. As it turns out, she kept a bucket for cleaning, right behind the main counter. Kiew unwrapped the ink capsule and carefully poured in some water, the n gave it a stir with her brush and raised the writing tool out.
Perfection.
She tanked the shopowner again and returned to Maharani Avrei. She bowed and presented the capsule with brush already inside, ready to be plucked out and used.
"Huh?" Yun blinked at the Maharani, and then, without even meaning to, she perked up.
"Oh! Yeah! I mean, uh, if ya wouldn't mind, your grace," she added quickly, bowing her head. "I just, well...I didn't really think ahead? I don't have any parchment."
But ahh! Why didn't she think of asking for her signature, too? It would be instant bragging rights! Er, no, not bragging rights, that was bad. But she could show it to her parents and how proud would they be? She'd just leave out the part where she bumbled along like the village idiot; no, the story she told them would be heavily doctored and based off what she saw of Kiew.
Kiew hummed to herself, then pulled another, smaller, much cheaper-appearing, but blank roll of parchment out of her sack. She holds it out to Yun.
"The poet Zhao of Fallen Petals once wrote 'The fox who prepares is never skinned by the hunter.' ...Though, he didn't follow-up by saying what happens if the hunter is prepared, too." Kiew shrugs.
"Oh, most impressive."
Avrei gave a nod of approval when Kiew produced the second piece of parchment. It solved the problem of Yun not having any paper, and kept her from having to find something within the store to buy in order to sign for her. She was also a little surprised that the girl was interested in poetry.
After taking the capsule and the second piece of parchment from the girl she placed both pieces on the table and carefully marked each with her name. She then turned to face Kiew and presented the parchment to the girl. "Well, there you go." Next she turned toward Yun and handed the smaller piece to her.
"And, one for you as well."
Kiew's great words of wisdom were met with a withering look. Oh, the things she wanted to say right about then! But she bit her tongue and went with something far tamer.
"That's just wrong. Who would hunt a fox but savages?" Yun said with a frown. Seriously? Was Kiew calling her a stupid fox--er, person--for not knowing in advance that she'd need parchment for a signature from the Maharani herself? And worse, she didn't like that she felt like she was being subtly insulted! Yun didn't do subtlety! She had no subtle reply!
Still, she relaxed a little and accepted the paper, muttering a 'thank you' and feeling a little bad for thinking so poorly of the girl, much as she couldn't really help it. But despite the bitterness, she also realized she was more peeved at herself than Kiew--irritated with herself for lacking all the social graces this girl was flaunting.
When Avrei had finished up her signature, Yun took the paper and held it stretched out to let it dry, leaning in to blow lightly on it. "Thank you, your grace."
Kiew felt compelled to rebuke the warrior's claim with the fact that it didn't matter if the hunter was a savage or a nobleman, and that she should stop trying to analyze prose before she hurt herself.
But Kiew was having too much fun.
She bowed to the Maharani and took her autograph scroll back, admiring the signature. "Thanky ou very much, Your Graciousness! May our ancestors bless you. If I may take my leave, I would like to begin my search."
Avrei gave a nod of approval as she watched the two girls. Both seemed to be content with their respective signatures, which was good enough for her. It was always nice to see the young people of the nation happy.
"It was my pleasure," she replied to both of their thanks before turning her attention directly to Kiew. "And of course you may. I have no intention of standing between you and your work." If she remembered correctly the girl had said that she was here on an assignment. She would have hated to get her in trouble with her instructors by taking up her time.
"It truly was a pleasure meeting you, and may Inima bless you and your family." She bowed once more to the girl, clasping her hands in front of her, before turning to face Yun. "I believe you were about to ask me something earlier?"
Now maybe she'd go away and stop embarrassing her...
Yun gave a little jolt when the Maharani turned her attention back to her, having been too focused on that show-off Kiew, and she blinked several times. Wha?
"I was?" she said, and gave a quick look around as though hoping something in the shop would jog her memory. "Oh, uh..." Yeah, she had no memory of that. But hey! That just meant she needed to replace it with a new question! "Oh! Right! Yeah, what brought you here, your grace?"
Avrei was fairly certain that hadn't been the question the girl had started to ask her before Kiew approached them. From what she recalled it had to do with jewelry, but she would say nothing of it. Pointing out the girl's mistake would only have been rude, and disrespectful. So instead she decided to play along.
"I suppose you could say that I am here on the off chance that there is an object of spiritual importance in this store," she explained. "As you know mainlanders tend to be less knowledgeable about spirits and how to detect them, and it isn't completely unheard of for something related to them to find its way here." That reminded her. Between her suspicions about the Yun, and the distraction posed by Kiew she had completely forgotten to have a look around.
No matter there was still some daylight left. She could always have a look later.
"Off course the chances of that happening is still relatively small, but I didn't have anything better to do with my afternoon," she continued. Now that she thought about it his was a perfect opportunity to find out what the girl was up. She was curious after all.
"What about you? Were you only here to look at the jewelry?"
Yun toed the ground sheepishly, hands folded behind her back.
"Er...yeah," she said, and cleared her throat. "Just looking at the jewellery. Um, it's not normally my style, but I mean, I just...I had some time to kill, and it's my first time here, so...it...looked pretty?"
She trailed off, feeling dumb--but then again, she was certain she'd feel stupid discussing any topic with the Maharani! The Maharani had to deal with Huge, Important Issues and here she was, talking about frivolous things. She wished she had something more exciting, more important and interesting to talk about, something impressive that would leave an impression! Something she could tell her parents about later and feel good about it because it was the truth and not a fabrication. How amazing would it be to be able to say that she'd talked about Huge, Important Issues with their great leader? Maybe even helped solve a problem that had been plaguing her by offering a down-to-earth, everyday woman perspective?
Just like in the stories.
Instead she found herself tongue-tied.
Oh! But wait! She did have something interesting to talk about, didn't she? Like why she was here! The Maharani had asked if she was only here to look at jewellery, and she wasn't!
Yun perked up and flashed a bright grin, gaining a small burst of confidence. "Oh! But that's not all! I came to defend the city!" she said, and puffed out her chest proudly.
"Is that so?"
Avrei had watched the girl carefully as she answered her question, taking in what she could from her posture and gestures. From what she saw her nervousness had reemerged, if only briefly, but she appeared to be genuinely proud about what she had said afterwards. It had actually brought a smile to the Maharani's lips as well. She'd always enjoyed seeing youths who were enthusiastic about their duties. It was usually a good sign that they were willing to work hard to carry them out.
More and more she was beginning to think that she had really misjudged Yun and her intentions earlier.
"That is quite an impressive goal actually, and a noble one at that." she continued. "With passion like that I'm sure you will make a fine addition to the warriors stationed here. This city could always use good protectors unfortunately." She had meant every word she said, and she had made no effort to hide her satisfaction with the girl's answer. With all of the riffraff and uncivilized people that worked aboard the foreign traders' ships the warriors stationed in Jinta were always the busiest.
"Out of curiosity who did you train under? Perhaps I have heard of them?"
Oh man, oh man, oh man.
She was getting praised.
By the Maharani.
Now that was something she could take home to her parents!
Yun's eyes widened, momentarily stunned, and then she broke out into a face-splitting grin and just about glowed with pride. She forgot all her earlier reservations in that moment, swept up instead in a whirlwind of excitement and accomplishment. This was the best. Day. Ever!
"Her name's Kuan! She's my mentor," Yun said, and began to roll up her parchment after testing that it was dry. "She's in the city, too! But she's doing other stuff and I've trained with a lot of people like Hoi and Kuyu and..." She rattled off a list of names of fellow Warriors she'd trained with, many of them her age, and then beamed up at the Maharani. She couldn't wait to tell them all about this--and that she'd even name-dropped them to her!
"Kuan..."
Avrei cupping her chin in her palm as she pondered the name. Of all the ones the girl had mentioned that one stood out the most. It sounded familiar to her, as though she had heard it somewhere before. But where? After some thought it finally came to her. That was the name of one of the protectors of the faith wasn't it?
"She is a Khan if I'm not mistaken?" she said finally, giving Yun an approving nod as she did. To be chosen as a student of a warrior is such high caliber was a great honor. There was little doubt in her mind that the girl was probably quite capable after such training. "I imagine she has trained you well,
"Your parents must be very proud of you."
Yun flashed a glowing smile at the Maharani. Truth be told, she didn't really know how proud her parents were of her; they had sent her off to train to get her out of their hair, because she was brash and undisciplined and it was about time. She always seemed to be making mistakes, was always getting scolded, and she'd always felt--in her more self-pitying moments--that she couldn't get anything right.
But if the Maharani thought she was worthy of praise, then certainly her parents would, too!
"I hope so!" she said with a grin. "They'll sure have to once I tell 'em about all this, right?"
"I'm sure they already are," Avrei replied, with a smile. What parents wouldn't be proud of the fact that their child actively served Inima and her followers? An uncivilized non-believer perhaps, but certainly not a pair of upstanding Thanati citizens. It was unfathomable in her eyes.
After looking toward her bodyguard for a brief moment she returned her gaze to Yun. "You said that this was your first time In Jinta correct? Have you had a chance to familiarize yourself with the city?" she asked, cupping her chin her palm. It was getting late and dusk was quickly approaching. She couldn't help but wonder if the girl would be alright making her way home after dark. "I imagine it must be very different from what you're used to."
Yun nodded vigorously. "Yup, first time! And nope, haven't really gotten the chance. Er, Majesty." She laughed and motioned around the place.
"'Different' is putting it lightly. Where I'm from, there's like ten families and that's it! This place is huge. Also," she added, leaning in closer and dropping her voice, "It smells."
"Ah yes," Avrei replied, nodding her head in agreement. "Unfortunately that is one of downsides to trading with mainlanders." She was actually a little surprised by how frank Yun had been with her opinion of the place, but it was far from a controversial one. Most Thanati had a negative of the city, and with several of the inns being permitted to prepare red meat it most certainly had its own unique stench when compared to most other settlements in the archipelago.
"However since you haven't had a chance to see much of the city perhaps you would be interested in accompanying me tomorrow?" she added. "If you have time of course."
"Whaaaat? You?" Yun blurted, and slapped a hand over her mouth after. Yikes! That probably sounded so rude!
"Er, apologies! What I meant to say is of course I've got time! Er. I mean, yes! Yes. I would be most honored to join ya tomorrow, Your Majesty!" She bowed deeply, and so quickly that she nearly whipped her hair free of its topknot. "Anytime!"
Oh man. Oh Inima. Never in her life would she ever imagine she'd be here now, serving as the Maharani's escort through the city! How could she say no to that?
She really, really hoped she didn't screw it up.
Avrei couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's response. She was certainly an excitable one wasn't she? It was going to be nice to have some new company on her walk through the city.
"Then it's settled. Come to temple tomorrow around noon, and I shall show you around the city," she said before gesturing toward her guard. "If by chance I am not already outside when you arrive Kyale here should be there waiting for you. She will fetch me if need be."
"Done! Thank you, your majesty! Thank you so much!" Yun bobbed several more bows--and stopped when she felt dizzy--before she straightened up and beamed a smile at the woman.
"Thanks! Ah, oh, I should leave ya now, huh? Probably got a lot of important Maharani things to do, don'tcha? But I'll be there tomorrow right away! At noon, I mean! The temple, gotcha." She bowed once more and backed away from the woman, still bent forward, before turning on her heel and racing out the door, forgetting in her excitement that she should have probably let the woman dismiss her.
But she had so much to take care of before the day was through and oh dear Inima she was gonna be the Maharani's escort tomorrow!