10th Saun, 722
Zana looked down at her piece of parchment and she sighed, audibly.
Her hand reached out and she took hold of a cool glass. Lifting it to her lips, she relished the almost-burn of the ice cold water against her lips. The heat of Saun was a time for laying naked on beaches and languid lovemaking in the ocean, she considered, not for actually working.
Standing up, she smoothed down her dress and made her way out of her office and into the garden. There, she took a seat in the shaded area and considered that the worst thing Scalvoris had done was to abolish slavery. A couple of well-oiled slaves in skimpy dress fanning her right now would be just about ideal, but alas. She suspected there were also limits to what the staff here would do and, as such, fanning was probably beyond their pay grade.
It was, Zana considered, a travesty.
Her Tarouz familiar, Melody
fluttered down to the table at which Zana sat. She looked at the small bird and she felt the amusement in the creature. "It's rather warm you know." She smiled. "That's a good idea. Alright. Thank you, Melody, as always." With a hop and a skip, the bird took flight and Zana watched her. Then, she called her assistant Stefan
out and he came and sat down opposite her.
"I need to plan for next Cycle, Stefan," she said, and he nodded. "I'm finding myself somewhat running in a circle, and I wonder if you'd be a darling and help?" He smiled at her and nodded. "What is your issue?"
Zana considered it. "I need to put together the protocol for visiting dignitaries. To do that, I have to put forward the places for those dignitaries to visit, things to show them and so on. In order to do that, I need to know more about this place than I do. In order to understand the needs of the dignitaries, I need to have visited their countries and lands. So I need to be both here and there before I can easily work out what is needed."
Stefan looked at her and shook his head slightly, he seemed rather amused and Zana gazed at him with an expression like she was a lost child.
It worked.
"Would you like me to draft up a plan for you?"
"Stefan, you're an absolute darling did I ever tell you that?" He smiled and blushed a little. He was a tough nut to crack, Zana considered, but she had his number now. He wanted to help, wanted to have her ear, without actually being in the limelight. She could - and did - use that.
"You do that, and I'll sit here and write a few letters, alright?" He nodded, stood up and started to walk away, stopping as Zana spoke.
"Be an angel darling and refill this water, would you?"
Her hand reached out and she took hold of a cool glass. Lifting it to her lips, she relished the almost-burn of the ice cold water against her lips. The heat of Saun was a time for laying naked on beaches and languid lovemaking in the ocean, she considered, not for actually working.
Standing up, she smoothed down her dress and made her way out of her office and into the garden. There, she took a seat in the shaded area and considered that the worst thing Scalvoris had done was to abolish slavery. A couple of well-oiled slaves in skimpy dress fanning her right now would be just about ideal, but alas. She suspected there were also limits to what the staff here would do and, as such, fanning was probably beyond their pay grade.
It was, Zana considered, a travesty.
Her Tarouz familiar, Melody
fluttered down to the table at which Zana sat. She looked at the small bird and she felt the amusement in the creature. "It's rather warm you know." She smiled. "That's a good idea. Alright. Thank you, Melody, as always." With a hop and a skip, the bird took flight and Zana watched her. Then, she called her assistant Stefan out and he came and sat down opposite her. "I need to plan for next Cycle, Stefan," she said, and he nodded. "I'm finding myself somewhat running in a circle, and I wonder if you'd be a darling and help?" He smiled at her and nodded. "What is your issue?"
Zana considered it. "I need to put together the protocol for visiting dignitaries. To do that, I have to put forward the places for those dignitaries to visit, things to show them and so on. In order to do that, I need to know more about this place than I do. In order to understand the needs of the dignitaries, I need to have visited their countries and lands. So I need to be both here and there before I can easily work out what is needed."
Stefan looked at her and shook his head slightly, he seemed rather amused and Zana gazed at him with an expression like she was a lost child.
It worked.
"Would you like me to draft up a plan for you?"
"Stefan, you're an absolute darling did I ever tell you that?" He smiled and blushed a little. He was a tough nut to crack, Zana considered, but she had his number now. He wanted to help, wanted to have her ear, without actually being in the limelight. She could - and did - use that.
"You do that, and I'll sit here and write a few letters, alright?" He nodded, stood up and started to walk away, stopping as Zana spoke.
"Be an angel darling and refill this water, would you?"
I know all your desires. Your heart is so full of pain.
Is there something I can provide? To make you feel loved again...
Is there something I can provide? To make you feel loved again...
