"Oh, you know, if I'm busy and don't come back for a few hours, I don't want whoever's waiting for me to have to wait hungry. I used to leave books in there, too, but I never caught anyone reading one so I haven't bothered in a while."

"Your majesty, why are you like this?"  He laughs.  "No wonder everyone's confused.  Are you just... personally making cookies, every day, by magic, in case someone has to wait a while..."

You know what, he's just going to wander back into the waiting room and take a cookie, he thinks. 

The Emperor follows him, giggling.

"It doesn't really take much time! And it's more like every week, I did a bit of magic to the table so they stay fresh longer."

No, really, why is the Emperor like this?

"Oh, well, that makes perfect sense, then."  He picks a cookie and takes a bite.  "Mmm.  I'm surprised at least the clerks don't come here sometimes just for those.  Or do they?"

"Every so often somebody does! If they did it all the time I'd ask the useful side of the palace to hire a baker or something, but when it's just once in a while I don't really mind."

"Well, there goes my plan to sleep in your waiting room and live on the cookies."  He'll have another one, though.

"They're good cookies but I'd think you'd get tired of them!"

"Eventually, probably!  I suppose I'll have to find a job after all.  Oh no."  Mmm, cookie.

"Well, there's plenty to do in Skygarden. Or you could ask to be paid an absurd amount of money to be my friend, but it's sounding like you wouldn't actually need the absurd amount of money for that."

"I wouldn't."  Smile.  "I should ask the... useful side of the palace, you said... to put me on some sort of disaster relief list, if nothing else.  And then see how many weird looks I get for wanting to be let back here again."

"Sure. Or if you want to talk to me somewhere less official, I often watch the sunrise from the gardens on the eastern edge. Not many people know my face, so I get to enjoy the view without terrifying anyone."

"The official thing is pretty entertaining, honestly.  And it's a lovely palace.  But I do like sunrises, too."

"Although, just so you know, I'm terrible at lying.  I'll probably manage not to call you your majesty in public, but only probably."

"I am also terrible at lying. Don't worry about it. Though, when I do manage to have friends, they usually call me Sekar."

"Sekar," a smile.  "All right."

"I should go get myself work and a place to stay, and I'll see you - afterward? Tomorrow? One of those."

"See you!" he says agreeably.

So Imar gets to go back to the "useful" side of the palace, snagging another cookie on the way and mostly managing not to get lost in the maze (all right, he does cheat with Land-sense once), and - back around to the public line, he supposes, unless someone stops him on the way?

He's looking weirdly cheerful, for someone coming back from the Emperor's side.

Avanye does notice him as he passes back through that room full of clerks, and gives a little wave from his desk.

He waves back, and can stop by Avanye's desk if he doesn't look busy. 

Not busy at all.

"Hello again. So you talked to him?"

"I did!  You're right, he's perfectly nice.  I'll probably be over there pretty often."

Avanye laughs and shakes his head. "You're a braver man than I, then. But I'm glad you got along."

"It's... I didn't realize he's over there all by himself."  It still bothers him, and in more ways than it did earlier.  "It's ridiculous, the Emperor living like that.  I think having someone to talk to will be good for him."

"You know, I hadn't thought of it like that, but you might be right."

"I think it's one of those things it's hard to notice if you grew up with them.  And he's right that it's not like people don't have good reasons to avoid him.  But still."

"Well. Good luck with that." He smiles. "And I'm sure word will get around about the odd young man from the north and you'll get fewer people asking why you want to talk to him next time you come in."