Dual Soul Reincarnation

Chapter 3 - Reprieve

[The Voice]

The coming weeks were more trying than I expected. The princess had a lot of work on her plate everyday. The first week was especially trying as her highness had needed to fit in the meetings and the like that she had missed the day of my arrival. Admittedly, I could have had an easier time, ignore all her work and just waste my days away letting my mind wander off into pointless ideas, but that felt wrong. I had caused enough trouble already, the least I could do was pay attention, learn about the world I was in, and, if I was lucky, even help a little. It was about a month when Zirana reached her first real hiccup from our situation.

Zirana had spent her whole morning working with several of the King's advisors on how to handle a diplomatic issue with the neighboring nation Beshazia. It was a member of the Unified Human Kingdom, but had been showing signs of wanting to separate as its own nation. It's king felt that Mezuzi wasn't being forceful enough with Zimoa, the only human nation still not unified. Apparently this issue had been boiling up for a while now and Beshazia's king finally grew impatient enough to say something. The discussion had concluded with Zirana believing the best action to be a diplomatic trip, apparently a common task for her. Making personal visits by the princess to the various kingdoms seemed to help Mezuzi's efforts feel more heartfelt and meaningful. On top of that, her skills in diplomacy were at their best when in direct conversation. Sadly, the king had good reason to block her request.

~

"And may I hear your reasoning, Father?" Zirana kept her composure very well. With all the excitement at this issue's seeming resolution, I expected the King's denial to cause at least a little annoyance. I forgot, though, that Zirana was pretty good at this whole manners thing. She was an expert at putting on faces, which I had learned especially well in this meeting. From the smartass remarks of the older advisors to the patronizing attempts by the slimier ones to get her to change her mind, she never faltered. She smiled kindly but never too much and she spoke firmly but without pushing to hard. She was playing a verbal tug-o-war against multiple multi-manned teams and yet they never budged her.

It was ever-so-clear how practice and skilled this was to me, due to her not needing to go through that effort, or rather... We both understood if she felt the need to, she would never have a moment to be herself. She was kind enough to answer my questions and listen to my ideas, but the way she spoke to me was much more honest. Sometimes her real opinions on some of these advisors slipped through in how she explained things to me. Sometimes she just offered spoke them to me outright. I wasn't about to complain. Being someone to vent to, even in such an impersonal way, was at the very least a way I could help.

Her father, King Shabezi Nara as I had come to learn, sat upon his throne as he listened to and denied Zirana's request. I didn't have the time or ability to take in this room on my first visit, but now that I did I was awestruck. Sure you could see a throne room in any medieval movie, but being in one was just something else.

In the center were two thrones, one of which sat the king and the other was empty. On either side of that pair were six chairs each, eleven of them filled by one of the king's twelve advisors. Each one was a representative of one of the kingdoms, the twelfth symbolic of Zimoa and the hope for its joining. The king let out a sigh.

"Zirana. You have become a great princess. The amount of work you've put forth for this kingdom in recent years has not been seen from someone your age in a long time. However, that has led to an abundance of confidence, which though you may try and temper it, does blind you to graver dangers sometimes. With that thing inside of you, I would find it irresponsible to allow you to leave this castle, let alone this city or nation."