My Servant System

The games went on for hours, the shifts from games native to the Sultanate and games native to the Empire keeping everything fresh and exciting as we - the visitors - got to play games we were familiar with and believed we would at least be on the same preparedness as the Sultana's family, as well as to play games that were new and exciting to learn.

What made it even better was the constant influx of sweets and coffee to keep us energized and ready for more, with each new sweet being something new and interesting to try out as we got to see the versatility of the Sultanate's kitchens, and eventually the chefs seemed to challenge themselves to match the sweets to the game being played... somehow.

Fast paced and thrilling games that were moving as quick as a snap were given sharp flavors and shots of stronger coffee to really drive the point home that these games were going to be rapid, whilst the slower and methodical games that required more thinking than doing were given subdued and 'calm' flavors.

We all eventually gathered at a single table together and started playing in as large of a group as possible, usually split into the 'actual' games with only us adults and the watered down versions with the pups, who were trying to learn alongside us.

Aisha was absolutely competitive and had a deep yearning to learn how to do whatever we were doing, and I could already tell that this emergence of an older sibling had sparked her desire to get better in all aspects so that she could continue to be above her younger siblings.

Not in a bad way either, since she then in turn guided the shyer Samira and her quiet twin Safa, who were both far too reserved to ask someone to help and instead just observed from the side to learn for themselves; then, when they understood, Aisha would confirm or deny whatever claim Mariam was making before trying to keep Batul from falling back asleep.

All the while, Lady Kio relaxed on the side with a bottle of wine that she was determined to finish on her own, her eyes flowing from person to person as she quietly observed from the side, taking it all in and likely recording everything down in her memory.

We played and played till the moon was peeking just beneath the tops of the large windows, the desert now bathed in rays of silver instead of gold while the stars spotted the pitch black sky scape that made the landscape seem all the colder.

Getting deeper into the night, we eventually called it quits and stopped with the intake of sugar and caffeine and got up, following Anput through the long halls and down towards her own suite of rooms - after saying goodnight to the little pups of course, who were all yawning and fighting to stay awake.

Even Batul had joined in the festivities after we moved on to a card game that she had enjoyed, something that made it all the more enjoyable since we had managed to get all of the little pups to join in and play, allowing us to break that mold between us just a little more.

They were all still wary of us a little bit, but progress was progress no matter how minute it was, so we were happy with it since we would be here for quite a while, and getting to know Anput's family was one of the main goals we had for visiting the Sultanate, even if the others were far more 'selfish' in origin than that.

But the night was beginning to wear on them, and it was on us too since we still hadn't had a proper sleep since we had gotten to the Sultanate, that long carriage ride making us a tad groggy and drained even if it wasn't really that bad.

Besides the carriage ride, the sheer amount of sweets had also made us tired since we were gradually crashing from the overflowing energy they provided, so we wanted to just lay down now and sleep until the morning, where we could make a fresh start in this wonderful country.

The things that we were waiting to do were exciting and making me yearn the morning, but at the same time, sleep was beckoning us, and sleep was something that we all loved even if it was no longer as desperately needed as it once was.

Reaching Anput's suite of rooms, we found ourselves in quite the luxurious area, something that matched the same luxury that the Palace we now called home had, just in a different way and in a unique style.

Where the Palace was more segmented and built with designated rooms for specific things, the Sultanate seemed to be the opposite, with this suite of rooms actually not having many walls at all and instead relying on standing partitions and curtains to create rooms.

The roof was far above our heads, with arches supporting the marble structure and allowing it to be as spacious and open as possible with as few pillars as possible, while the partitions that stood between said pillars were all works of art on their own, the thick sheets of paper painted with various animals and warriors engaged in fierce combat with one another, whilst some were more peaceful with landscapes of the oasis found around the Sultanate.

Fabrics of all kinds of vibrant colors hung from the arches, blocking the winds somewhat and replacing partitions in some areas to keep the giant room feeling unique all the way through; it wasn't only used for curtains though, as wooden furniture was given cushions and pillows of the same colors and patterns.

The bed was the same, and it certainly was quite the bed; nearly a dozen feet wide and easily longer than that, the giant 'bed' was covered in pillows and blankets, allowing someone to sleep... well, anywhere they wanted on it without any worry, which was just... odd to think, since I was accustomed to having a set spot to lay.

Shelves and tables were placed around seemingly at random to create smaller 'areas', each one designated for something else - like sleeping, relaxing, reading and so much more - whilst the occasional bookshelf added some more depth to the room.

All in all, it was organized chaos made into a room that just worked, and it definitely represented my mate quite well in how she acted and how she worked, since it had a very specific flow to it that all seemed so innate to how she thought and functioned as a person.

"Welcome to my room~! I miss it quite a bit, and I really hope that if we ever build our own place, we can have this as our room instead~! All open and spacious... Isn't it just great?"

She took a few steps forwards and spun around, soaking it all in and smiling at us as she added "And it comes with one hell of a view too~! C'mere, look! A nice view over the city and the desert~?"

Anput led us to the back of the room, where giant curtains hung where a wall should have been, the enchanted fabric preventing the winds from billowing in but allowing a breeze instead, and when she brushed them aside and took a step out onto the balcony...

Well, the cool and crisp breeze slid over our skin and kissed our cheeks, that slight nip in the air barely being felt as we looked down over the sandstone city, the various canopies and rooftops illuminated by the moon and the occasional fire or torchlight to paint one of the most beautiful scenes I had seen so far.

Perhaps it was because the volcano that the Palace was built on simply wasn't... aesthetically pleasing, but this view was gorgeous, and whilst it couldn't compare to the natural beauty I had seen before, it was still something that made me pause and simply soak in this wonderful sight.

"Haha~! Beautiful, isn't it? Seems quite simple from down there, but up here? Gorgeous... The colors, the architecture, the firelight... all with the ocean of golden sand surrounding us being illuminated by the silver moon... Nothing can compare."

The pride in her voice was nice to hear, and when it was paired with the joy that she had expressed earlier about being back, it made me quite happy even if we were both still... not entirely ready to speak normally again.

"It is beautiful. Though I don't know how well this would work in the Empire, if only because the idea of having an open balcony like this... with the snow or the rain, the wind..."

Jahi cringed slightly as she stepped out further to look around, making me chuckle as I replied "Magic is a wonderful thing, isn't it my love? We could make this work back in the Empire, rather easily too... We would just need to find a view that was worth the effort."

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