Shangri La Pt. 1

33: Inquiry

"T-Thank you, Your Majesty, I will be more careful this time. Excuse–" 

"Your hair." he interrupted, leading her to freeze in the middle of a bow. 

'No– Don't tell me the Prince knows that I'm an Emerald?!?!' 

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty?" she stuttered. 

"Your hair is in a braid." 

"Y-Yes."

"Did you... braid it yourself?" 

"Ah– huh?" Izumi felt a bit thrown aback but his quick question was that she wasn't sure what to say. 

"You do braid your hair, do you not?" 

"Ah– Y-Yes! I-I do, Your Majesty!"

"I know this might sound strange, but please come to my chambers tomorrow morning as I have a favor I would like from you. That is if you are alright with doing so." 

"Y-Yes yes, I-I can do any favor for you, Your Majesty!" she blurted without realizing. 

"Very well, then make sure not to have anyone see you heading to my chambers. Excuse me." Shoto finished as he made a subtle bow and left Izumi standing there in dismay. 

It wasn't until the Prince had left her sight did she realize that she possibly signed up for something she could possibly regret. 

'What– What just happened?'

( Following morning! )

Standing before the twin doors leading to the Prince's chambers, Izumi had no idea what to expect, and she certainly didn't want this to be some kind of confession. 

'I already am dealing with a lot with Katsuki, the last thing I need is for the Prince to have some sort of attraction to me. There's not even a reason for the Prince to be attracted to me when he's about to marry the Princess in a few months!!! Let's not think of this as something like that and just stay focused on whatever the Prince is requesting me to do. I just hope I don't look like an idiot in front of anybody.' Izumi thought as she tried to make a subtle–almost unheard–knock on the door. 

"I-It is me, Your Majesty, the one you requested to come here this early in the morning." Izumi nervously spoke, only to hear a faint; 

"You may enter." 

She took one last deep breath and cracked one of the doors open.

When she peeked her head inside, Izumi wasn't expecting to find the Prince sitting at a small table in the center of the room and reading scrolls that were in an Ancient Language. 

She analyzed the room to see that the Prince's most trustworthy servant; Iida, was residing behind the Prince and he appeared to be analyzing Izumi himself. The Prince's chambers were quite the size, as nothing but the colors of reds and golds painted and decorated the room ever so elegantly. The smell of a calming incense carried throughout the room, reminding her of standing in a peaceful forest. 

And then there was the Prince, as he sat at his small table with his hair down and how his robes dressed him comfortably and effortlessly. 

"Your Majesty." Iida spoke, causing Shoto to lift his gaze off the scrolls and see Izumi enter the room. 

"So it seems you've made it." Shoto remarked as he began folding the scrolls and placing them to the side.

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty. I have come like you have asked." Izumi stuttered as she bowed to him while he stood to his feet. 

She remained standing at the entrance of the room as she was uncertain where to stand, and she thought it would be a good idea to keep her eyes out of sight from the Prince in case she didn't want to cause any trouble.