::heliohedonist::

Ja'far honestly doesn't know why he expects anything to run smoothly for more than a week.

It's never happened before, so why should it now?

These are the thoughts he thinks to avoid ripping off the head of a messenger who's brought him news he wishes didn't exist. He notes somewhere in the back of his mind that he's grinding his teeth again, but doesn't do anything about it as he's making his way down the hall to his king's throne room. There's no need to knock, the urgency of the issue is too large to bother with politeness when Ja'far knows that there's nobody bloody well important enough inside to warrant knocking. He shoves the door open and drops to genuflect in front of the grandiose throne so that his robes billow slightly before they settle on the cool marble beneath him.

"My King."

Ja'far rarely bothers with formality anymore. News is always delivered via doors nudged open with slender hips and armfuls of scrolls with mouthfuls of words before he creeps back out to do whatever paperwork he's got stashed away. It must be serious. And Sinbad knows damn well that there's nothing serious but his own plans. Nevertheless, he thinks he does a good job of pretending that something very dour is about to occur, leaning forward with his chin on his knuckles and eyebrows furrowed.

"Ja'far, please. What's happened, friend?"

"Heliohapt desires renegotiation of our treaty."

Sinbad is a damn good actor to fool his long time friend. He makes a spectacle of looking very upset and tries to hide the mirth and excitement in his eyes as Ja'far raises up gracefully.

"What do you say?"

"About what?"

"Should we give them what they want?" Ja'far looks at his king carefully and for a moment, Sinbad's heart gallops with the thrill of being on the fine line of being caught and living to fight another day (almost literally, Ja'far may kill him if he's caught too soon). Ja'far tilts his head downward and Sinbad is lucky to have the self control to stop himself from smiling. He missed this sense of adventure and it's only going to get better.

"If I may, there is nothing wrong with Heliohapt's section of the treaty. It's benefits outweigh any cons they may have and this is demonstrated by their rapidly recovering economy and the stop of Kou harassment. But I fear they may be worried, after all, Sasan has recently seen temporary inflation of worrying amounts if one does not keep in mind the six month period we predicted for such. They could be worried that the same may happen to them still, no matter how I've assured them otherwise. A mild case of nerves. I'd heavily advise against leaving your kingdom with Al-Thamen lurking about for such a petty issue-"

"Excellent, we're going."

Ja'far wonders if his king heard a word he just said.

"If you weren't going to take it, Sin, then don't ask. And I really must ask you to rethink, Sin. Al-Thamen has been spotted multiple times over the previous months.

"And if I stay, I may find myself the leader of six nations under treaty instead of seven."

"They wouldn't dare. If they leave the alliance, they give themselves up to Kou and Al-Thamen who lurk outside of their doors as well as ours. Don't be silly, Sin."

"I don't think I am, Ja'far." Ah, he should have known he wouldn't get off that easily. It's fine, though because he's prepared for that too.

He's going to feel a little bad for this, because Ja'far is jumpy on days like these and he's not exaggerating when he says that because the second there's a sick squelching smack against the window, Ja'far hasn't moved one bit, but there is a very soft sound of something metallic through the air that tells him that Balalark Sei is in his hands in a mark of his preparation to get the both away from them as far away as possible and god knows what could be running through his mind.

The fact that it's just a mimic of Heliohapt's falcon is going through Sinbad's mind and he's a little worried that Ja'far will pick up on how calm he is. He doesn't though. Steps back, closer to his king and breathes deeply, silently.

"Sin." And that name means so many things in the moment. That Sinbad should be moving, something is wrong, assurance and concern and a request to eliminate.

"Ssh." And that means a dozen things too. Don't worry and I trust you to take care of me and I've got your back as well and permission granted. It's a lie of course, not entirely authentic, but Sinbad knows himself well enough to fake it and gets as much of a thrill as he always does when he trusts himself to his Generals. He could almost believe that he could feel Ja'far relaxing an almost imaginary bit and his retainer wastes no time, his back is pressed up against the wall between the arches of the tall windows in the throne room and facing his king again in a matter of moments. Sinbad doesn't even need words to give him that last bit of permission, Ja'far knows. His hand reaches out, Balalark Sei in between his fingers and oh so carefully pushes open the window. Sinbad's eyes follow the elegant stretch of his neck instead of the window.

Ja'far's breath exits in a hiss. That's Heliohapt's messenger bird. Mangled and twitching on the garden beneath the window.

"I've changed my mind."

"Knew you'd come around. What was it?" Ja'far's head is inclined ever so slightly out of the window and his shoulders are tense.

"Nothing my King should concern himself about. I suggest we go immediately. I presume Drakon will be in charge?" Ja'far slams the window shut and he's all business in stance, head tilted up, hands in his robes, standing tall and it contradicts the way his eyes are narrowed and constantly flickering about the room and that Balalark Sei is still in his grip. Sinbad feels extraordinarily possessive of him and Baal's vessel at his hip thrums with the closeness. Ja'far can feel it too, he must because he looks at Sinbad in the eye, stormy grey and lidded before they widen a little for him, relaxes. There's a twitch of a smile and Sinbad knows elation.

Ja'far gets back to business. Looks to the door and back to him. Sinbad doesn't waste any time in going and Ja'far has his back every step of the way, just incase there's more than a falcon outside.

In the hallways outside, Sinbad reties his hairband and a quiet handmaid rounds the corner to ring a bell.

Ja'far doesn't think anything of it.