Above All

-Seventeen-

Expanding passion

Sweet delights across the seas

Hustle in the fields

Amani:

Today was a good day for a jog... at least I thought it was. Éliane thought I was crazy to prefer running outside in the brisk chilly weather of autumn, but I considered it to be the best... minimal sweat after all. She wished me the best of luck as she headed to the staff gym that we would frequent together when we had the time to work out.

I didn't mind being alone for this jog, it gave me time to really reflect on myself and get away from things. My feet pounded the rocky ground of the back area of the compound as I scurried around the pristine walkways with ease; I liked how more used to the layout of Maelony Palace the more and more I stayed here and frequented the spaces. It was still extremely large in comparison to the places I have been, but Éliane did promise to take me on a mini-tour to all the fun places the residence had to offer.

For now, it was just jogging.

My favorite music blared in my ear as I thought of all the upcoming events I had planned for the princes as well as the very prominent Empress Day that had finally come. It was still early in the morning, but preparations had already begun for the afternoon event where all the noble ladies would engage in various activities with her Imperial Majesty herself to celebrate the past Empress's of Idizia.

It sounded like a lovely event, one that I thought I would not be joining, but the Empress herself wanted Éliane and I to attend, not only to get a better sense of how tradition worked in the palace, but to continue scouting out potential partners for Prince Layton and Amory.

I thought it was odd of her at first to have Éliane and I greeting the noble women when they first came, but it all made sense once I got to the root of her persistence; we were to be her watchful eye when she could scrutinize the nobles around her. I was happy the Empress trusted us in this way, but I couldn't help but want to engage myself with other things that better suited my talents.

Engaging with nobility was just as boring as I expected it to be. The conversation was artificial, dry, and lackluster; it reminded me of all the business events my father tended to drag my mother and I to from time to time, how often you had to plaster a fake smile and go along with whatever was being discussed, even if you couldn't the slightest about it.

My mother prepared me for having conversations like this all the time, I was his only heir it was imperative that I could navigate in a world such as that, so it was no different the same applied here; everyone was just sucking up to the royalty in order to be favored the most, the issue was trying to dig deeper into these personalities to find a good match.

I know the twins were going to hate it, but I took orders from their mother, not them.

Lucky for me, Prince Layton had taken my advice when I texted him; Éliane spotted him coming back into the palace with Oleo Inyene on his arm. Finally, this man listens to me! My idea was perhaps to zero in on her a little more so that I could gather some intel and make claim for her being the one to be on his arm in front of the press; this would be major news to have Prince Layton seem as if he is settling down now into more serious relationships.

And not to mention Oleo Inyene was a stunning girl, beautiful brown skin, big bright doe-like eyes, cute little voice. She seemed very poised and refined like she had been taught all her life how to behave; if Prince Layton were to choose her, I could perhaps get her to show her personality a lot more, that way the public would be keener to—.