As the moon vanished in the reveal of the fresh morning light. Liah, the royal maid of the young prince –Ajab, accompanied by her three handpicked maids, each with different steaming pots, walked in orderly fashion, through the royal corridors, and headed towards the Prince's room, to prepare him for the day.
Getting to the door of his room, Liah knocked "Your Highness"
The voice of the Prince sounded out "Come"
Liah pushed the doors opened, and they all walked in with their heads bowed.
Scanning through the room, His Highness's little table had some parchments and books on them, but he couldn't be seen in the room, so she called out again "Your Highness?"
And again his refined voice rang out, this time from a more precise location–the outter balcony.
"Here."
Liah followed the voice, whilst giving an instructive nod to the maids accompanying her, and each of them diverged into different parts of the room.
Getting to the door leading to the balcony, she caught sight of His Highness.
He was in his night robe, and his eyes were fixed in the view the balcony provided, reminiscing probably about something. She bowed her head slightly, and greeted properly "Your Highness"
His hands crossed behind his back, Ajab turned to Liah, with a charming smile
"Good morning Liah"
Her smooth and kind face formed a bright smile "Was your Highness busy?" She asked.
Ajab blinked his eyes. Is that what it looked like? he honestly was just practicing the pose to strike when he comes out victorious today. But then, no need to explain, so he just returned her smile, and moved on to his next compliment.
"You look bright this morning Liah" but coming to think of it, she always looked that way, except for split moments when he chose to be unruly, not that such moments ever existed, just saying.
"Thank you your Highness, serving you has it's own way of brightening ones day"
Honestly Ajab wasn't sure how to react, with Liah he honestly couldn't tell when she was being sarcastic or not, maybe she wasn't this morning, but who knew when she might be. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from her–he thought.
One of the accompanying maids, came out to Liah, who then turned back to His Highness "Your bath is ready your highness"
He nodded as he followed them to his bath.
Around the prince's bath, was a curtain to separate it from outside view, and the three maids stayed on this outside, slipping in their hands to provide whatever the prince demanded–he disliked skinship. Despite his age, he disallowed anyone from bathing him, including his mother –especially his mother.
"Where's mother?" Ajab still asked, as he continued his bath.
"The queen is with His Majesty" Liah replied.
"Hmm" He nodded.
Leaving his bath tub, his highness was adored in his fitting for the day.
Facing the mirror in front of him, he swayed from side to side, and made sure his hands were crossed at his back, while he was at it.
"This seems to suit me today"
Liah smiled "You Highness must be joking. Your Highness knows you look good in everything"
Ajab turned to her, his eyes caring the expression of a sleepwalker "We both know, mother thinks otherwise"
"I'm sure in Her Highness's eyes, you still look good in everything, she just provides adjustments"
"Adjustments?" Ajab scoffed.
She couldn't be any funnier, how was two hours minimum wardrobe scavenging, after prior dying long moments of scavenging, adjustments? He really had a lot to learn from this his royal maid.
Liah nodded amicably "Yes your Highness"
Of course she'd smile, what was he expecting?
Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and started walking out his chambers.
His maids opened his doors as he walked through. Stepping out his door, he paused at the sight of the chamber directly opposite his.
Seeing as he was looking at the closed chamber doors, Liah drew close to his hearing
"The young master Elmah, had left for the train grounds"
Ajab nodded as he turned to hurry in his steps.
Of course that one had left already, while he was still busy practicing poses, he couldn't help but snort as he moved. Few steps into his movement a presence caused a halt in their hurried steps.
"Your Highness" They all greeted in a bow, except Ajab who greeted with a furrowed brow
"Good morning Mother"
Queen Stiana smiled brightly as she squated to fondle the cheeks of her furrowing baby boy, who she had no idea why he was frowning now.
"Why the long face, young man?"
"What are you doing here Mother?" He asked with his expression unchanged.
"Do I need a reason to come see my baby?"
"Oh now I'm your baby. Mother seemed to have forgotten who she left on his own now that he can handle a shower, and have remained clung to her husband."
Queen Stiana could not help but laugh inwardly as she responded with her illuminating smile.
" Someone listening now, would think your adorable mother abandoned you or something. Are you not the one who said you were grown enough to handle your self?"
Ajab scoffed with his eyes looking dragged
"When did that ever happen?"
The Queen's eyes widen in excitement "Have you missed mother's tender hands?"
Ajab's face contorted into disgust "Only Mother knows what she's talking about. Ahem... I'm needed at the train grounds" he said as he cleared his throat, and began walking away in large strides, with his hands crossed behind his back.
Seeing him walk grandly past her, the Queen scoffed as she swept her hands across, landing a soft delicate 'pah' slap on his exposed butt cheek. Who was he posing for?
"Now run along" she said as she headed for his chamber, not even leaving a chance for him to react.
Like he was even going to react, and she wonders why he missed anything but her touch, what wouldn't his princely butt see?
Continuing in his hurried steps, he ignored whatever that sight was, and whoever witnessed it, besides all things put together, this incident never happened. Also he had something he was looking out for at the train grounds. He couldn't contain his excitement as his eyes gave feight glints.
Now at the prince's chambers, the queen's eyes swept through the place, his little library corner remained well kept, with some old parchments and books well rested on his table, some left opened, probably from the night before. She could not help but brighten up the more, as she also started flipping through them. Who would have thought her weak and sick child who could rarely leave bed or her arms, was now even able to do things himself, and demanding independence to boot. Everything changed for her son that night three years ago, and since then, he'd been more than she could ask for...even though he acts his father's age most times.