Princess of Balbadd (Magi x Reader)

Duel a Devil

AN: Grrr...I didn't mean to make ol' Barby so suave with Reader. He was supposed to drop his façade with her so she doesn't trust him. But those sparkles in the manga when he conversed with Sinbad...! Ah well this short lived pairing goes out to my long lost friend that likes Seto Kaiba XD and any others out there that have been wanting something like this.

"Princess, you're making this too easy for me."

~*~

Today your party met with the 32nd Emperor, Ceylan  Dikumenowlz Du Parthevia. You were properly quiet during the meeting  that was cut short when his health reached its limit. Upon leaving,  Barbarossa decided to 'borrow' Sinbad so he wasn't around while you  shadowed your father during his negotiations.

By the afternoon of  the second day, you were visiting a vast estate for some tea. The  servants lead you out to a gazebo. The weather isn't too hot in the  shade and a slight breeze makes sitting there pleasant.

Lord  Barbarossa comes to greet the two of you with Sinbad by his side. The  clothes Sinbad is wearing is a foreign style to your eyes. When he makes  eye contact with you, you nod a hello to him and he gives a curt nod  back. The air about him seems different than what it was before.

The  men's conversation remains superficial. They rarely acknowledge you at  the table while you sample the snacks available. You were sure to take  less than your father so as not to appear gluttonous. You nibble slowly.  When you can't stand it anymore, you dab a napkin to the edge of your  mouth and clear your throat for attention.

Upon their silence you say, "If you'll excuse me, I need to relieve myself."

"Of  course, Princess (y/n). The facilities are over there." Barbarossa  gestures behind him. "You can grab a servant to help you if you get  lost."

You thank him as you get up and head off in the appointed  direction. Rounding the house, the outhouse is not hard to locate. It is  conveniently by the kitchen entrance where you see many servants  carrying out trays of food and dumping them in a cart. The food looks  fancier than what you had seen distributed in town, but thrown in  sloppily.

After taking care of your business you stop a servant to  ask for water to clean yourself with. When the servant comes back, you  ask, "Is this where the food rations for the populace is prepared?"

The servant laughs, "Goodness no! These are the leftovers from his Lord's lunch."

"So you throw all of this away?"

"No, it goes to feed the animals in the stables."

"What sort of animals does Lord Barbarossa keep?"

"Would you like to go see?"

You  nod your head. It's not like many animals are kept in Balbadd's palace.  When the cart is loaded, you follow it to the stables. Here you get to  see horses, cows, pigs, and such. With permission, you pet their  muzzles.

The animals are kept in a large building and you have  gone far inside before you realize it. You stop to pet a sheep and  wonder how it's coarse wool makes soft clothes. Just then, you hear a  couple of stable hands talking while cleaning a few stalls away.

"I  don't know why Lord Barbarossa is so strict about us catering to that  Sinbad. I hear his trading company is filled with scum. Why would the  Lord want to give them their own country?"

"I'm sure he has a  plan. Maybe he's trying to draw the lowlifes out. As he says, 'you catch  more flies with honey than vinegar.'"

"You think he might purge the lot of 'em?"