The royal palace loomed over the entire kingdom at the heart of Buganbal, massive and majestic, made from the finest of marble and adorn with both silver and gold, it shun like gem underneath the sun. Amasu's father rode his horse all the way to the palace and upon reaching the gates the guards seeing his face and the crest on his armor, opened the gates and let enter.
Once in, he made his way in to the palace and straight in to the throne where he immediately went to his knees, bowing to the king Atoni perched on his mighty throne.
"Your majesty", he spoke with a voice filled reverence and respect as he bowed.
The king simply raised his hands and spoke, "Rise Delamu, and come take your place by myside".
Delamu then raised his head and, heeded the king's command, to his place by the side of the king's throne as the head of the royal guard.
Some time passed and Delamu remained standing by the throne even as the king attended to his kingly duties of listening to the pleas of his people. Seated on his throne facing a cue of people in a line so long that it seemed to have stretched out endlessly, filled with people wanting to plea from matters ranging from land disputes to theft and breach of contract, some of them even being of the most patty or trivial kind like a merchant wanting the king to execute another merchant for nothing more but seeing the exact same goods as him.
The king's duties were beyond hectic as he had to listen to the scattered voices of his people, each making plea or complaining of one thing or the other which then hand then had to find a way to fix. A scribe stood by the king's side, eager jotting down each decree and judgment made by the king made in a parchment of paper longer than the length of twenty gone men.
It was indeed an exhausting task, one that made the king fill the immense weight of the crown that sat on his head by it one had to do for his people and kingdom which he cherished with all his heart. Even Delamu, standing by his side, understood just how tasking it must be to have to listen to the pleas of so many people, having had to listen to them as well as he stood by his side and struggling to comprehend how the king could not only listen to each and every one of them but also give a reasonable response capably of satisfying the people, conversing with them with a firm voice, never staging or hesitating when giving out his verdict in any case brought to him while being as a fair and just as he possibly could. It was really a tasking job but one the king perform well, and Delamu couldn't help but admire him because of it.
"Your majesty, as you know todays harvest of grain wasn't as great or plentiful as last year's. So please, I humble come to you as poor farmer, to ask of you to be lenient with our taxes this year", said a farmer spoke with a humble voice his head bowed.
The king, having heard his pleas, took only to moment to make his judgment before saying, "Can you manage 40%".
The farmer upon hearing the king's words smiled with a heart filled with joy and gratitude.
"Yes my lord that would be more than enough", the farm spoke.
"Alight then, it will be so. Now leave", the king spoke, his voice resolute and absolute.
The farmer then bowed his head and left with another subject coming to take his place the moment he left.
The king just let out a tired sigh underneath his breath only noticed by Delamu as he faced the next person. Then, just as the next person on the cue walked up to the king and was about to open his mouth to speak, the throne room door burst open and one of the king's royal servant frantically rushed in.
"Your majesty, I apologies for intruding but there's trouble with the princess", the servant spoke while on his knees bowing to the king.
The king eyes, upon hearing the servant mention the princess, rose up from his throat.
"My humble servant, I apologies but I must take my leave but rest assured, I shall return hear all your pleas and proclaim my judgement", the king spoke, his timid and humble never the less carrying a heavy air of authority behind them.
The king then rushed out with Delamu by his side with the servant leading the way to the princess's room.
"I and the other servant came to deliver the princess's breakfast to her but when we arrived, she simply shut the doors and locked herself in her room. I and the other servant have tried convincing her to come out but…" the servant words were cut short by hand from the king.
The king then let out a breath, knowing just how difficult his daughter could be, before walking up to the door and knocking on it.
"Tari dear, it's your father. Can you please open the door?" the king spoke in soft and gentle tone.
The clinging sounds of locks in the room being undone. The doors then opened up and then stepped out the princess with the elegance and majesty of the noble lady that she was.
"Hey dad", she spoke with a warm smile on her face.
"Why did you lock yourself up in your room and avoided having your breakfast", asked the king with an air of worry and concern in his voice.
"Simple, it was the only way I could think of to have grant my request", said the princess an elegant smile on her face, her response shocking both the king, servant, and even Delamu who stood by the king's side.
The king then let out a tired sigh while pinching the bridge of his nosing, as he thought about how his daughter made him abandon his kingly duties and rushed straight to her all because she wanted him to grant a request from her.
Letting out an exhausted the king then faced his daughter's beaming smile before finally asking, "What do you want child?"
The princess smile then widened in to the childish, innocent, and sweet smile, before saying, "For you and me to have breakfast together".
The king, Delamu, and the servant, all stood there, shocked and baffled by the princess words.
"Breakfast together, Tari dear you do realize that I am king. I have an entire cue of subjects waiting on my beck and call, an entire kingdom to look after and a myriad of other kingly duties and responsi…" the king's words were abruptly cut off by the sight of tears standing at the very edge of her eyelids, seeming ready to rain down a flood.
The king then let out a defeated sigh before turning to his servant.
"Have the royal scribe write down the remaining pleas and demands of the people and let them know, I shall look at every one of them announce my judgement the tomorrow", the king said the servant before turning to his daughter, who looked back at him, her tears seemingly residing back.
The king then let out a defeated say once more, "And have the dining room ready for me and my daughter".
The princess beamed upon hearing her father words, before rushing to him and embracing him in a tight hug.
"You the best father ever", she spoke as she tightened her embrace.
The king then smiled warmly at his daughter, though a king ruled over an entire kingdom, he was still and a loving father and as such, despite the regal crown on his head, could still be swayed and brought down to his knees by the simply sight a tear on his daughter's eyes.
"Come on, let's go eat", the princess pulled and dragged the king away before he could even utter a single word, with Delamu just nodding his head and following while the servant left to do what was commanded of him by the king.