that’s all he could really think of, if not that then it was the awful feeling in his stomach that hadn’t gone away for a decade. the fake smiles, greeting and introducing himself to all of the royals that he came into contact with, speaking about the king (not his king), making plans to meet with whoever seemed important. all these years nikau had been the advisor for denmark, and he was still learning the intricate ins and outs of the role.
he was getting messier, he had to admit. not that much messier, but for his own high standards of trickery, it was enough. no one noticed, so he must be doing something right… but his reaction times to certain phrases grew longer, it took more to mask his real feelings. nikau hated it– of course he did. he was not born into this life, and he was grateful for that, but every day that passed he wondered more and more if this is even what he should be doing. he put himself here, in this position. he was far too deep into it to quit now, though, wasn’t he? just kept digging a hole with no way out.
when he finally got a moment to himself, it didn’t take long for him to realize that he wasn’t, in fact, alone. the crown prince, who had always been weary of him (rightfully so), sat in the empty room. it took everything in him not to sigh heavily and show his discomfort in this situation that hadn’t even begun yet. instead, nikau bowed to show his respect (though a piece of him cringed every time he had to bow to a royal), and spoke calmly, picking up a random book and pretending to read it. “your royal highness. i guess i’m not the only one looking to get a breath from all of the hustle.”
prior to his arrival in switzerland, einar had a bet with himself as to how long it would take him before he has to resort to dreadful escape options just to free himself from the hellhole that was politics. with him and his family so far from denmark, the crown prince already half expected that the swiss court will be unbearable --- they always had been treated as an outsider in assemblies like this, and he did not expect this to be any different.
however, if it was any consolation at all, the swiss themselves were not as unpleasant as he anticipated...they were gracious hosts, at the very least. and yet, the fact remains the same: switzerland is home to various royalties, many of whom the danish had qualms with, and einar himself has to continue on with all of the flattery and faux smiles if he was to ensure that this summit remains, at the very least, bearable until its conclusion. today, however, he found the talks of politics particularly suffocating, and as soon as he could leave, he sought refuge in the last place he would have been seen in if he was still in denmark: the palace library.
with the kind of upbringing he had, einar have since exhausted his book options --- at least, those which he find intriguing enough to keep him busy for a moment. however, he did find that the swiss had a great collection of the classics, and soon, he found a book worthy enough of his attention for the next hour, or two, at least. the quiet room was good for him, to keep him sane for the most part, and while he thought he would remain isolated from the rest of the people for awhile, he proved himself wrong sooner than he expected.
einar felt his presence first, footsteps light but not enough for his arrival to remain discreet. still, the crown prince kept his gaze focused on the sheets, eyes skimming through the texts and yet, his mind was already somewhere else; alert, as his senses heightened for any movements. just then, nikau finally made himself known, but of course, einar knew who it was already, even before he lifted his gaze to settle upon his brother’s most respected advisor. he smiled, of course, a subtle yet convincing smile, with the latter possibly more achievable if it was anyone else but nikau. einar is no fool, of course. the crown prince can tell that the man is wary of him, as he has all the right to be, considering the feeling is also mutual on his end.
“ nikau..” he returns the greeting with a nod of acknowledgement, looking down on the pages once more as he lets out a low chuckle at the man’s words. this, at least, they agree on. “ you know me, i am not so fond of these...political talks,” einar paused, a sigh escaping him, “ the curse of being royalty, i suppose. we all have a role to play, ” a hint of humor laces his tone and yet, a part of him also meant every word he just said.
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