"The new Kou Emperor is visiting today. His Highness has ordered for you to be well-presented at his arrival."
A young boy, with jewellery much too extravagant and occupying to keep his throat's skin from itching, had him pulling at the chunk of jewelled metal to try and adjust to a more comfortable state before his caretakers had noticed him for the nth time the last half an hour that they were waiting. The eldest one (in her eighties? Nineties? She even looked like she was nearing the turn of her century) chided him and pulled him close almost roughly to fix his clothing again.
"Cease your squirming, this is a very important meeting for your father, you must not in any way misrepresent the royal family, Prince Alibaba."
She said it like an insult. Prince.
He nodded glumly, eyes downcast in final defeat upon realizing he could not be comfortable while sweating and itching and generally being uncomfortable in his fancy-pants clothes. It would be great if the Emperor would hurry his royal butt and arrive already.
Almost as if some divine being had heard his prayer, the heavy doors of the grand hall were being pushed open and through the pure daylight streaming in to join the coloured, dimmer rays from the tinted glass, he saw three figures passing through the doorway.
One with a pointed domed crown; unmistakably the King. Another with a weird rectangular, flat crown; probably the Emperor. Caretaker Sheena had mentioned something about the men's fashion in Kou being "utroshus" or something. That probably meant bad.
The third figure however, was tiny, and kind of... poofy. He saw a small hand rising out of such a number of layers of fabric, he almost felt blessed to be in his attire. Petite and with long hair. Was it a princess? She was very small.
The closer they got, the more she seemed to disappear in the flowing folds of cloth that dragged behind her and the Emperor with the weird hat.
Even as he was called forward to greet them, his chin was tilted up in ignorant, innocent curiosity to see the bundle of heavy folds as his toes rose but in the very slightest.
"Emperor, these are my sons. Ahbmad, Sahbmad." he paused for a moment, and that pause was what tore Alibaba's attention from the curled over girl. A feeling long forgotten but suddenly resurfaced emerging in his body and expression; am I being ignored?
The King caught the boy's expression. He looked up at him with wildly wide eyes, his usually warm eyes frozen in fear and expectation. He turned his eyes from him, the slightest curl of the corner of his mouth changing his neutral expression subtly.
"And my youngest, Alibaba."
"An honour." The Emperor responded. "This is my daughter. Kougyoku."
Then, as if remembering what his previous object of curiosity was, Alibaba's eyes snapped back to the little bundle.
He was met with a gaze as wide and curious as his, with a sprinkle of red decoring pale skin under large, bright rubies that stared back at his amber.
Kougyoku.
Ah... Her name makes sense.