[ME] [SE] Once upon a time

Once upon a time...

Who was she to assume the abilities of the mer? Having seen the king walk once opened all kinds of doors of possibility, and while Maea would love to pick his brain on the intricacies of partial shifting, right now she wanted something warm to drink.

Nodding gratefully she got up and disappeared among the shelves, only to return some moments later with a huge kettle, a brazier and cups, tea leaf and an assortment of sweets laid out on a tray. It was quite the armful, but she somehow managed to set it all out between them without spilling. Stoking the embers of the brazier into something hot enough to warm the water, she invited Hadama to help himself to whatever he liked.

"I might consider adding some king of basin to the office," she mused, "so I can invite merfolk properly. Did you know Danta made me his ambassador? Turns out he had a job for me after all." She should add that to the sign on her door, probably.

The End

Hadama was not one to turn down new culinary experiences, and the chef who became king pondered the selection of sweets before choosing two to go with the tea. It was a quiet and welcome little slice of cozy mundanity after the fantastical stresses of the sentient book, and he settled in to wait for the tea to boil.

"A kindness," he murmured. "Thank you." Though it would be a difficult undertaking indeed if her office was on a different level than the main one. Still, it was a pleasant thought, and there was some good news to go with their tea that was just as welcome. "Congratulations. I hope this means you will come to Torchline more often." Some of the shadows in his eyes faded as he inclined his head in honor of her new position. "You will be very welcome there."

The night was young but it was already far later than the Tidebreaker had anticipated when he'd come for his initial errand. Nevertheless, he stayed to speak quietly and drink tea with the new Ambassador until a measure of peace had returned to them both before he bid her goodnight and aquaported back to his own bed beneath the sea for what sleep remained before morning.

~Fin~