While both the Hafsa and the elder were grateful to see the smile on the king’s face, Iri was not altogether aware that she’d done anything wrong. Most especially as there was no consequence. So, she smiled back, a toothy sort of friendliness, and followed where he looked. 

She could see someone else was in that basket-thing. It was very easy to notice when they were peeking out of it and when they stepped out, she squeaked excitedly at anyone who would listen. See? Do you see her? Look, oh look, I am scared. But with her mother’s encouragement, and Tsuin looking on in curiousity, she lifted her head as high as she could when the king introduced them and tried again to offer that bow the way her mother had. It felt silly to bob her head about, but it seemed important, so she did it, and then, as soon as the other girl’s lips moved, she clambered over the elder’s back so she could go around the king and close the distance between them. 

It took her a moment, the elder was not a small mer, and shifted beneath her with a grumbled complaint about her claws. But she made it eventually, and was very soon staring up at this princess Ayana who was to be her bonded with obvious curiousity and no small amount of consideration. Short hair, but a nice colour. Funny cloth hiding her legs. It was a colour she did not readily know, though it did come close to the stinging anemones she preferred to avoid. At the very least, however, she knew that a human would not be wearing something that stung. They touched too many other things to accept the risk that they might hurt something they did not want to scare away. 

The trouble, really, was that although Ayana was not exceptionally tall for a human, she was still higher than Iri’s arms could lift her, and she did not have the proper spinal support to hold herself up with her tail. So, she moved around Ayana’s feet, curling in behind her and coming around the other side before patting her flank invitingly. “Here. You… put self here.” She did not know the word for lie down or sit, as one was rarely done by any mer and the other was always done, so she’d never thought to ask about it. “Then close ear to mouth and no… no look up.”

She was not at all bothered to be offering herself as a chair, as it was exactly what she would have done with another mer if they wanted to speak without misunderstandings or to develop their friendship. She could not hear very well beyond a certain distance, and Ayana had a very quiet voice. Well, to her, anyway. The king had spoken loud enough to hear, he knew noise was necessary. The princess did not seem used to this fact. 

“Please?” She added as a quick afterthought after a reprimanding cough from the elder.