Chapter Text
A crumpled piece of paper flies through the air and Janai swats it away easily without looking up towards her offending company across the room. “I told you I’d be finished shortly.”
“You said the same thing an hour ago and look how that’s progressed.”
Another crumpled paper is lobbed and it follows its predecessor’s end - flung to the side with a quick flick of the wrist. “An hour ago, I hadn’t noticed the missive from Queen Regent Opeli towards the bottom of this forsaken pile of documents.”
Amaya shifts from laying angled on her back to a more rapt position, the concern darkening over her face. Janai takes note, soothing over any worries with, “There’s nothing to worry about, Amaya. They’re only updates.”
“That’s good at least,” she signs, the tension from her body leaving as quickly as it had appeared. “But what’s even better, is that that means you can forgo finishing writing out your reply. Just for a while.” Amaya grins, wriggling against the cushions.
“Or I could finish out this letter and move onto the next missive that requires my attention.”
A third projectile hurtles with devastating accuracy and it bounces off of Janai’s shoulder. She drops the quill and launches it back, smothering a smile at Amaya’s shocked expression.
The expression switches into one of roguishness and Janai braces herself for what may come.
“Fuck the letter. Opeli can wait.”
A singular brow raises at the statement. “Opeli is incapable of waiting and that’s a trait she and I happen to share. Besides, it’s easier to deal with this now than be swarmed by murders of crows carrying duplicates.”
“I’d have words with the Crow Master in the unlikely event that happened, you know.”
“Of course you would.” She continues scrawling out a reply only to duck a forth projectile and huff at annoyance at the cheeky grin Amaya still had plastered to her face. “I swear on my oath as Sunfire Queen that if you throw one more damned ball at me, I will have you put back into the pit, Amaya,” Janai signs crisply, the hand movements strong and emphasized.
“And it is my duty as Ambassador General to advise you in your time of need.” She waggles her eyebrows, unfazed at the threat. “You need to take a break from your queenly duties. Stretch your legs. Mingle with your people.” Amaya’s demeanor softens. “Can you even recall when your last visit to the market was?”
Janai sighs at the statement, the fight ebbing out of her veins. “Has it been that long?”
Amaya nods, drumming her fingers against her belly.
“Shit,” She breathes out, staring down at Opeli’s impeccably creased letter. “Just...let me finish this and then we can go, if we’re not dead on our feet by then.”
“Nope. I meant it when I said she can wait.”
“Amaya, it’s at least three more paragraphs, I can just-”
“You’ve been hunched over your desk four hours straight pouring over paperwork, your posture is atrocious, and it’s not even daybreak-- correction, we're at the point of daybreak, now that I’m getting a good look at the window.” Amaya’s nose scrunches in disapproval. “You haven’t even touched your tea since it was last brewed and I don’t have to dip a finger in it to know that it’s gone bitter and cold.”
Janai sends her a leveling stare over the desk, holding Amaya’s gaze unblinking before reaching over with her free hand to lift and chug the stale tea in one fell swoop.
Amaya’s nose wrinkles even further at the action and a look of playful disgust is thrown the Queen’s way. “That was gross.”
“Tea is tea. And I quite like mine the same way I prefer my Ambassador Generals - silent and mindful.”
“Weak. This is how I know you need a break. Your attempts at sassing me don’t even land the same way; I'm just a touch disappointed.” Amaya slides off of the settee, smoothing the wrinkles out of her clothing and placing the Ambassador’s sash over her head to lay across her torso. “Come on, Janai. Let's get out of here.”
“But this needs to get done, and I-”
“Nope. Time for some fresh morning air. You can get back to it after we snag some breakfast fit for night owls.” Amaya crosses the short distance, flicking the quill off the desk to clatter onto the floor, decisively ignoring the sharp glare that followed. “Don’t make me haul you over my shoulder and carry your heavy ass the half mile down the corridors; I’ll be counting it as my morning workout.”
Janai rolls her shoulders back and sighs, knowing her defeat has been imminent since Amaya had been petulantly tossing and turning on the sofa for the last hour. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t just see your comment. And I wouldn’t be opposed to you carrying me, to be honest.” She cracks her neck and reaches for her crown, sliding her horns through the golden loops with experienced hands.
“Oh, I know,” Amaya grins. “But I also know you’d prefer not to let the guards outside your door think I’m whisking you off to my own bedchambers.” The smile evolves even wider when Janai shrugs with offbeat unconcern.
“You spend so much of your time by my side, Amaya, going as far to keep me company through the darkest hours of night.” She slides the chair back, standing in such close proximity to the Ambassador General. “And it happens so often that it may seem...suggestive.”
Their gazes hold as they look to each other for a quiet moment, only breaking with the softest brush when Amaya takes a gracious step back to allow Janai more room.
“Us spending time together at odd hours isn’t uncommon. How else am I to assist you with advice if I’m out of range of your sight?” Amaya winks, breathing a low chuckle when Janai rolls her eyes in response.
“I would send for you, you imbecile.” The tossed insult lands soft, blunted by Janai’s teasing smile and glinting eyes. “You’re capable of achieving sleep in your own bedchambers, instead of sneaking naps here in mine.”
Amaya’s hand shoots up to her breastbone, stuttering back with an imagined injury. “You wound me, my Queen. I can’t help the fact that your lounge is far more broken in and comfortable.”
Janai snags her cloak from a nearby hanger, fastening the golden clasp at the shoulder as Amaya slips into her own.
“If that’s the case, I’ll just have them swapped out and you can enjoy the small comforts from your own room.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she regards Janai with a look that touches on mock betrayal. “Besides...you’d end up missing my company.”
They walk side by side to the doors, brushing elbows when Amaya slides a hand in front to open the threshold. The women offer a greeting to the Queensguard as they pass, ignoring the muted looks of bewilderment from the pair.
It’s only when they’ve rounded the corridor and out of sight that Amaya nudges at Janai’s side to get her attention.
“Do you think they have bets on whether or not we just spend our extra time, you know...fucking -- like how former, embittered rivals are want to do?”
Janai’s chest burns under her tunic and she focuses on keeping a steady walking pace, being mindful of not catching her feet on phantom snags.
“Must you always be so crass?” She watches the proud, vexing smirk cross Amaya’s lips as the woman responds with a look that can only mean: yes, and don’t pretend you hate it.
A minute passes in their walk before Janai deems it fit to answer.
“The Queensguard do have a bet going, by the way. And frankly, the pot’s still a little low for my tastes...if that was ever to affect any outcome.”
Amaya trips on nothing, coming to a stop in the hallway as she regards Janai -- who now has merely rotated one hundred eighty degrees and is walking backwards -- with a flabbergasted expression, eyebrows disappearing into her swept hairline.
“Affect any outcome? What does that mean?”
Janai merely shrugs her shoulders as she increases the distance between them.
“Janai! What does that mean! What’s the pot at?” Amaya starts jogging after her and Janai can only laugh, knowing that she’s had the upper hand all this time. “I’ll get that information out of you, just yet.”
“Your efforts will only prove fruitless.” She turns swiftly on her heel, switching back to her original stride. “Pick up the pace, Amaya. The first stalls should be opening soon.”
“Yeah, yeah...we’ll swing by the tea stand first and get you a fresh cup before we decide on food. Any qualms with that, my Queen?”
Janai offers a flash of a pleased grin at the suggestion. “I’d have accepted nothing less.”