:D

We back! Thanks for all the feedback for the last chappie! I really appreciate it!

Enjoy!

"Stars above, this is why I hate coming to the Citadel," Sara breathed, flinging her arm over her eyes.

She had found rest on a couch in her suite while Sam milled about, the arguments and shouting from her fellow delegates still ringing in her ears.

"You are like your father in that way," Sam said, with no small amount of amusement.

"And tomorrow we're supposed to talk about military with these people? We could barely get the ghost of a trade agreement completed during the general talks."

Little got done in the main meeting, but that was expected. Hyperion's trade officials were in smaller meetings now, Sara's role as spokesperson and Alec's proxy done for now. Now everyone knew what Hyperion's views and expectations were.

There was a frantic knocking at the suite door and Sara lifted her head up to watch Sam walk towards the source of the noise. She couldn't be too alarmed: nobody could get onto the floor without authorization.

Sam opened it to a flurry named Peebee.

"Princess Sara-a-a-a!" she called out. "Hey, Sam, howzit going? It's been a while."

Sam stood aside to let Peebee in. "Good evening, Miss B'Sayle."

"Oh, for Goddess' sake, its Peebee, Sam! We've known each other for long enough!"

Sara spoke up to get the asari's attention, "Peebee?"

Peebee hadn't bothered to dress up or anything for attending the meeting or for meeting up with Sara. She was in her jacket and pants, both worn from use and dirt and bleached from sunlight.

She bounced over, flopping onto the couch across from Sara. "Hey, Princess! Goddess, that was a real wreck. I dunno how royals like you do it."

Sara sighed. "Trust me, I don't know either."

The asari bounced once, twice, on the couch. "So, where's your boyfriend? I wanna meet him! I still can't believe you're cleaving yourself in an arranged marriage of all things, by the way, but he's definitely a looker, so I can't say you're that dumb for doing it."

Jaal probably would've taken that as a compliment, as backhanded as it was.

"I guess you're right," Sara mumbled.

Peebee jumped on the statement. "Right about which part? You think he's handsome? You like him?"

Sara flushed red.

"Well, objectively speaking, he is handsome."

Peebee looked like the answer didn't satisfy her, but barreled on. "I can't wait to meet him! Where is he?"

"He's probably on the floor above us, where the rest of the angara are. We have to go together, since you don't have the security clearance to get there by yourself."

"I'm sure I could've found I way to do it myself."

Sara ignored the pang of jealousy that bolted through her at the idea of Peebee and Jaal alone. Not that Peebee would be actually interested, right?

"Doubt it," Sara muttered. "Sam, will we be okay to leave?"

"Aw, asking him for permission."

Both Sara and Sam ignored Peebee.

"I see no problem with that, my lady. As long as you're back for dinner in 2 hours."

"Awesome!" Peebee cheered, grabbing Sara's arm and yanking her to her feet. "Let's go!"

Sara trailed behind Peebee to the elevator. The guard attending it glared at Peebee but immediately snapped to attention when she saw Sara.

"My lady," she said. "May I ask where you are going?"

"Just to the next floor to speak with the angara delegates."

The guard stepped aside. "Very well, ma'am."

Sara must have sighed a little too loudly the moment the elevator doors closed because Peebee eyed her suspiciously.

"You nervous?"

"Why would I be nervous?"

Peebee shrugged. "I dunno. Nervous to see your fiancé again?"

Was she nervous? She was just becoming more and more aware of the flips her stomach made every time Jaal spoke to her or was in the room with her.

"We've only been away from each other for half a day," Sara sighed. "I'm not that clingy."

Silence again.

"So, been on any good digs lately?" Sara asked, trying to change the subject, as clunky and obvious as it was.

Peebee perked up, "We did uncover a collapsed wall in one of the northern forests. It's slow-going, but we have the site protected."

Sara sighed. "I wish I had been there to see it."

"I've been saving the good stuff for when you have a break. This shit's so delicate we need to go at a snail's pace so we don't destroy whatever might be under the rubble. By the time you get out, we'll be getting the good stuff."

Peebee shut her mouth as they approached the guarded doors. And, well, Sara had her heart shoot to her throat.

"Princess Sara and…guest," one of the guards greeted with a nod of deference.

"Is Prince Jaal in?" Sara asked, sweetly as she could.

"Yes, he is," the guard confirmed. "One moment please, I will see if he is busy."

"Well, shouldn't his fiancée be able to see him any time she wants?" Peebee asked, staunching ignoring the elbow Sara poked at her ribs.

Pretending not to hear, the guard ducked into the room, leaving the other staring blankly forward.

"Quit being difficult, Peebs," Sara hissed.

"I'm not being difficult! I'm just trying to be friendly."

"Friendly is translating to annoying."

Peebee scoffed. "Well, if they can't handle me, that's their problem."

"Right."

That was why Sara was marrying Jaal. She was the sort-of-awkward diplomat who didn't rock the boat too much, usually. Of course, her whole speech to the Citadel blew her image of being only quiet and contemplative out of the water.

"Ooh, I think I hear him coming," Peebee cooed.

Sure enough, the guard came out with Jaal following him.

Something seemed to flit around in Jaal's expression when her saw her. Whatever it was, it felt positive, like he actually wanted to see her.

Peebee flounced forward to shake Jaal's hand, who looked at her, flabbergast, hand limp in Peebee's grip. Sara wanted to melt into the ground.

"Prince J-a-aal. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Peebee, Sara's wrangler and partner-in-crime."

The shocked expression didn't leave his face. "Crime?"

"Well, grave-robbing doesn't count as a crime if it's been millennia since anyone has lived where we dig up stuff, right?" Peebee asked redundantly.

"Right," Jaal parroted back.

Sara wished she was back in her bed.

"Anyway," Sara said. "How are you, Prince Jaal? That wasn't exactly an amazing start to the meetings."

Jaal shrugged.

"You are correct. I was expecting as much. Hopefully, Tajo will be able to gain meaningful concessions for Heleus."

"The royals have been glutting on their revenue for decades," Peebee droned, waving her hand in the air. "They deserve to be cut down to size for once."

"And Hyperion is to stand with us?"

"If what I had said earlier was any indication, yes. Of course, we are with you."

Jaal nodded.

"Good. I do not see how our arrangement could continue if Hyperion would not stand with Heleus."

Silence slammed over them, the only sounds now were breathing and distant voices coming from the still-open door.

"Awkward," Peebee hissed.

No fucking kidding. Sara wanted to evaporate and die and she wasn't entirely sure why she would be so embarrassed. Peebee being annoying was no strange thing, something Sara was even used to.

Okay, time to put an end to this. Before Peebee somehow managed to say something compromising or something that would make Jaal question Sara's faithfulness to this arrangement.

"Well, we'll leave you alone for now. I will see you at dinner, right?"

It did little to ease any tension, but Jaal quickly caught on.

"Yes. Stay strong and clear, Princess Sara, Peebee."

Jaal retreated back into the yawning hotel room and the door shut with a soft click. And it was as if the meeting had never happened, but Sara's heart beating loud in her ears told her it was very real. The two guards stared blankly forward, clearly not wishing to speak to either woman anymore. Sara turned back to the elevator, Peebee trailing half a step behind her.

"Well, I like him," Peebee said cheerily.

Sara sighed softly, rolling her eyes. "I'm never bringing you anywhere every again."

"Hey, I invited myself. Can I invite myself to your little dinner later tonight?"

Sara turned to see Peebee giving her a wide-eyed, pleading look. The answer was simple, short, and pretty damn obvious to her.

"No."

About ten minutes into the event, Sara almost regretted not bringing the asari firework to dinner.

It became very apparent that just about nobody wanted to be there. In fact, it seemed like Drack was the only one who was happy to be there, sat with Kesh on one side and empty air on the other, his plate piled high with food.

Jaal watched her from across the table, though he wasn't making it very obvious.

"No hard feelings, Princess Sara?" Palia whispered.

She turned to the young turian who had leaned over to speak with her. Palia has sat down next to Sara early on, focusing on her food and not talking until now.

"Had to raise a stink to make it seem like we weren't going to completely go along with you immediately. Dad and Papa are both on your side."

Sara nodded with a grin. "No hard feelings, Palia."

Her mandibles clicked softly as she smiled.

"Good," she said, turning to speak to the angara across from her. "I hope you visit us in Natanus, Prince Jaal."

Jaal blinked as if startled out of his thoughts.

"Ah, yes, Princess—?"

"Palia, of Natanus. My apologies, I don't think we were officially introduced."

Jaal hummed with a faint smile.

"Princess Palia. It is good to meet you. I have heard good things about your fathers."

A good piece of flattery, enough to break the ice a little. Palia responded, "I am glad."

"I am sure we will visit soon," Jaal said.

Surely, he meant 'we' as in 'me and my fellow angara' and not 'me and Sara'.

"Don't worry, Sara," Palia chirped. "I'll make sure Tiran is somewhere far away when you visit."

Vederia coughed quietly into her glass while Sara couldn't help but blush and hope Jaal would let that little tidbit of information.

"Who is Tiran?"

Well, he didn't. Figures. Why would anything go her way today?

"Ah, nobody. Well, Sara's ex."

Jaal watched Sara, while Sara glared at Palia.

"We don't need to talk about this now," Sara mumbled.

Really. They really didn't need to talk about this.

"Ah, you're right. Oops."

"A former lover?" Jaal asked, still pressing the issue.

She couldn't help but feel a bit irritated that he wouldn't let it drop. Did angara just not let these topics go?

"Yes. We, ah, well, we were together for a couple months. Then, we broke up. No big deal." Sara explained, shrugging her shoulders.

Jaal didn't look entirely convinced, for some reason. Sara couldn't understand why. Jealousy, not a chance. No damn way.

Palia cleared her throat loudly and Sara really hoped she was going to do something to change the subject.

"Yes, well, you will have a lot to see on Natanus."

Like a good diplomat, much to Sara's immense relief, Jaal moved on. Maybe it was the clearly uncomfortable expression on Sara's face.

"Your people make good use of Heleus imports."

"Yes. Our factories are the best on the planet. I hope the Heleus delegation will find the time to visit."

Sara picked at the lump of pilaf on her plate and listened to Palia and Jaal speak to each other. Palia lacked the kind of skilled diplomacy that her fathers had, but she made up for it in enthusiasm. She also lacked in tact sometimes, if the mention of Tiran made any indication.

They spoke mostly on manufacturing. Palia rattled off statistics and production numbers and employment rates to Jaal, who clearly was trying to keep up.

Sara's mind kept drifting to Tiran, against her will. She made a point of not thinking about him for the year since they had rather unceremoniously ended things.

The Hyperion princess and Natanus' premier general was an unlikely match that was kept studiously out of the media's eye until, well, it wasn't.

A good, fiery match they were, until distance and schedules didn't work out and they drifted apart. Then, Sara was found drunkenly smooching an asari at a party while rocked the headlines and, well, a senior official from Natanus wouldn't let the insult go unpunished. The punishment was the break-up, formed by a short and stiff missive from a PR person.

Well, Jaal was going to be able to look into that, now that he had a name to look for.

Sara was surrounded by talk and talk and the wine in her glass was doing little to dull the strange sense of nostalgia that suddenly settled on her chest.

"—Right, Princess Sara?" Palia's voice cut through the din in her head.

She snapped back to reality. Her pilaf had reduced to a few small grains, her fork disturbing them in a senseless pattern. She smiled tightly.

"Ah, sorry. Zoned out for a moment. What were you saying?"

The evening couldn't end any faster.

Okay maybe I need to change the tag into a medium burn or something. Whoops?

All feedback is appreciated! Really! It really is!

Cheers!

~Tiara of Sapphires