Above All

-One Hundred-Five-

Strangers in-between

Sweetest taste without passion

Falling in your eyes

Amani:

"Thank you for coming Tinashe... have a seat, will you?" I gestured to the seat in front of me as she entered my office escorted in by Arnold, a personal palace butler of mine. Tinashe smiled awkwardly as she was let in further to the room, she stopped just shy of the seat and curtsied respectfully.

"Your majesty, thank you for having me." She took a seat before me and I nodded. Beside me, Nohemi rested in her bassinet lightly cooing and playing with one of the many gifted rattles that she at times would put against her mouth and jut around making a shake of noise here and there. Tinashe heard the faint sound of her fumbling and I watched as her eyes drew over to the bassinet with curiosity.

"Would you like to hold her?" I asked curiously.

Tinashe's eyes spurted up in surprise at my words, "Hold her?" She retorted back to me to which I replied with a simple nod. Like many nobles, plenty of them were eager to meet my daughter once she was born, but not many of them had the liberty of getting the first glimpses; that was reserved for close family members. But now that Nohemi was two months old—about a month away from her 100th day baptismal, Idizia has now gotten a full glimpse of how she looks.

Blanche and her team finally came around to collect their end of the deal and had a major photoshoot befitting of a Crown Princess to publish on the front page of her trendy magazine business. No surprise there that the prints flew off the shelves with the quickness and following that, news reporters were littered with commentary on how stunning and adorable the baby was. I had to give it to Blanche, despite her opportunist tendencies, she gave our baby a very beautiful shoot with pictures so stunning I couldn't help but save them all in her growing baby album.

"Yes... hold her," I replied as I slowly got up and walked over to the bassinet, and reached down to pick Nohemi up. She was a bit startled by the sudden change of pace, though she kept the toy in her hand, her dark eyes focused on me intently, studying me as I placed a warm kiss on her chubby cheeks. I continued walking over to Tinashe who still seemed to be in a bit of shock that I was allowing her to hold my child, but she steadily held her arms open to take her in.

"Just make sure to support the neck." I reminded her as I laid her on her lap.

She nodded shortly her gaze straightaway focusing on Nohemi who was curious herself about the stranger she had been handed off to. "She's stunning." She whispered as she continued observing her. I took a seat back at my desk and nodded in agreement, "I like to think so myself." I replied to her.

I watched her for a bit before she spoke up again, "This isn't weird for you?" She inquired. I arched my eyebrow at her statement, "Weird, how so?" I replied.

She turned her gaze to me, her hands still steadily holding my daughter as she clarified, "I mean...Emperor Layton and I used to...be together. I do also reckon I didn't make the best impression on you when you were simply the public relations person. And now a couple of years later I am holding the product of your successful relationship." She stated.

I pursed my lips.

I guess in some circumstances, people would feel uncomfortable or maybe even insecure in a similar situation such as this, but unfortunately, I could not say the same for me. I would agree with Tinashe when she stated that she was a handful in my early days at the palace; she came on a bit... strong if I were to put it lightly but she was determined. She had her eyes on the throne and would do anything to get it; the highest status symbol as an Idizian. Tinashe was just following the same kind of lust for recognition and control that her noble counterparts liked to believe they weren't gunning for.