Of Magic and Sand

Chapter 8

By the time Ziana actually got inside the palace gates, she was exhausted. The palace guard had let her and Genie disguised as a giant blue bird with large silver feathers perched on her shoulder- into the main throne room, and were told to wait for the Sultan and the prince. The other parts of her "entourage" were told to put the gifts she brought for the prince on a table to the left and then wait outside in the corridor.

"What's taking them so long?" She whispered to Genie.

Just say what I say and you will be fine. She replied, ruffling her feathers softly in a voice that only Ziana could hear.

The doors to the right of the throne room opened and the Sultan, the prince, and a tall woman dressed in black emerged. The Sultan sat in the throne, while the prince and the woman sat in chairs beside him. Ziana could tell that the Sultan was trying to remain serious but could hardly contain his excitement. He kept looking back and forth between Prince Jenssin and her.

Prince Jen was wearing a long-sleeved black tunic, black pants, and dark leather riding boots. This was the first time she had seen him as the official prince of the kingdom. His hair which normally fell over his eyes had been pushed back to accommodate a silver circle on his head with a small sapphire in the center, and she caught a brief glance of the circular scar under his collarbone as he shifted slightly from side to side, then stood tall with his hands behind his back. His tunic had silver clasps that glinted softly in the chamber's candlelight.

Okay, introduce yourself. Repeat after me: I am Princess Zizi of Zibaba. I have come to ask for Prince Jenssin's hand in marriage.

"Repeat-after-me-I-am-Princess-ZiZi-of-Zibaba-I have-come-to- ask-for-Prince-Jenssin's-hand-in-marriage" Ziana said so quickly that her words bunch all together in one long strand.

And then she bowed again.

Stop bowing!

She bowed again.

No, I said stop bowing!

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" The woman dressed in black said, putting her hands on top of her staff and sending Ziana a dark stare. Ziana felt a chill go up her spine and all of a sudden her mind drew a blank. She and Genie had gone over what she was going to say and do a million times. they had prepared very thoughaly for this meeting and suddenly she couldnt remember a thing.

"I am....I am Princess ZiZi, amorous she of Zibabwa. Heard your prince was hot and that is why I dressed up all cute and decided to stop by. With elephants and other animals like my llamas."

What did I tell you about improvising? Stop! Stop!

"Llamas?"

"Yes. Llamas. And the Lions. And elephants. And my cooks, with muffins. Tiny tiny little muffins."

And then she bowed for the fourth time.

For the love of all things gold, just stop talking.

There was a very long pause where no one said anything. Ziana looked up and saw that Prince Jenssin had that half crooked smile on his face again. At least someone found this amusing. The Sultan was staring wide-eyed at her, apparently lost for words. The only person who did not seem stunned into silence was the woman with the snake staff. Ziana assumed that she was the Grand Sultan's advisor.

The woman gave a forced smile, "And, What qualities does the Princess of Zimbabwe have that make her a match for our prince?" She asked. Ziana faltered again, why was this woman making her feel so nervous?

"Well, I am strong and have faced all of the galloping hordes. And I am so so so beautiful." She answered before Genie could say anything else.