Ambassador

The entrance ceremony

Everyone rushed around her - maids dusting powder off shelves, and servants dusting powder onto faces. Lords and Ladies strode this way and that to prepare themselves, and even the guards stood nervously, somehow adding to the movement with their unmoving gate. She brushed past a few, earning jumps and glares as she made her way to the entrance hall; down the staircase, through the corridor, down the staircase, round the corner, down and... The entrance hall was worse, packed with nobles standing about, mingling and vibrating with excited energy. A few servants adjusted decor, or swept the long red carpet. But, at the top of the grand staircase, a man stood. He was perfectly still, perfectly poised. His presence sent a reaffirming calm through her. That was why she was there. To represent her family, with him, her Father. He spotted her, and gave a curt smile and nod, before disappearing into the shadows. Never far from the spotlight, never under it. Not at an event like this.

 At the other staircase entrance, another man stood, equally poised and valliant - the king, Asmodeus. He repeated the steps over in his head, the actions taking place behind his eyes.

With one last deep breath, she stepped into place a distance from the base of the staircase, not to be too visible until she'd evaluated the situation. Guards, dressed in silver and gold armour, lined the case itself, with one guard in complete solid gold armour. But no one else stood close, not even Asmodeus' family. It wasn't her place to wonder. That was one area that was completely out of bounds.

Ever so suddenly, a hush drifted over the crowd, and the servants stopped their cleaning. She felt a hand crush her chest with adrenalin, and a smile almost chipped at her face.

"Please welcome the nine chosen representatives of Aaflad!" And with that, the massive wooden doors were pried open, slowly revealing roughly ten parked carriages, with chestnut horses leading.

But, in front of the procession, there stood nine nobles. Each one dressed finely, yet plain in their velvet, lace and silk. Around the carriages, more human nobles swarmed, younger though. Families, she assumed, and she also spotted a few servants.

"And now, kneel for his majesty, King Asmodeus the third!" Brass music began to play, and she fell into a kneel, along with all others, as the king descended the staircase. Kneeling wasn't normally required by him, fair and just as he was. Yet now, it was certainly a necessity. The only people left standing were the guards, in their magnificent, inhuman armour. They saluted, though, and the majestic man took a few more steps down the stairs. At last, as the fanfair came to a close, he motioned for everyone to rise. She slowly found her feet, and stood to full height with her heels on. Her father slinked down the staircase, along with a few decorative nobles, and the head of military. He came to stand next to her, and to her dismay, she still only came up to his shoulders. Her father was a tall, imposing figure, but not too lean either. He stood magnificently in his navy blue silk jacket, and even had a green posie in the breast pocket, just to match the emerald green gown that she wore. She also had a blue veil. The king loved to see her in it.