Xarakas gave a single, polite nod as she thanked him for pulling out her chair, returning to his spot to listen as the king of Hell addressed his daughter and informed her of the arrangement he and his patron had come up with.
As the two royals negotiated how the princess's schedule would change, he found himself slightly intrigued by the sorts of tasks she had on her plate, although he assumed that some of the work was likely light and mostly busywork, enough to make it seem like she was a productive member of the court and was capable of one day leading, but he doubted any of her work actually contributed anything substantial.
But that wasn't his concern. He was paid to fight in the arenas, and now to train the Princess of Hell in self-defense, evidently because she'd gotten it in her head that she wanted to learn to fight.
He turned his attention to the King as he addressed him personally, adjusting his posture to be a bit straighter as he nodded. "Of course, your Majesty. My patron, the High Priestess, informed me of some of the details of this arrangement before I arrived, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to be of service to the crown. I assure you that I take this task very seriously and will take special care to ensure she remains safe during the training," he assured the king.
Giving another nod as they were dismissed, he stood and offered the king a polite bow before moving to open the office door for the princess, gesturing for her to lead the way to the training grounds they would supposedly be using for their training.
Asha frowned disapprovingly at her father as he threatened her new instructor but offered no argument even as Xarakas responded. Once they were dismissed, she led him from the office, pausing only to stop and retrieve the keys they'd need and to change clothes, before bringing him to the training grounds they'd be using.
"Here we are," she said as she pushed open the unlocked door and gestured him ahead of her.
"I suppose the first thing to do is an actual introduction. I'm Asha—not Ashanti. And not Princess or Your Highness or any of that. I know you probably feel like you have to ass-kiss, and some would wonder if this is a trick, but we're here for fighting, not etiquette. I don't see any reason for you to tiptoe around me every day."
Xarakas reluctantly but obediently followed her through the castle, waiting for her to change and gather the keys before they finally reached the training grounds, thanking her as she gestured him through the door first.
He took a few moments to look around the grounds (there was ample space and plenty of supplies and obstacles to work with) and only half-heartedly listened to the princess introduce herself.
"I would prefer if we kept things formal, Your Highness," he spoke as he finally turned around, removing his jacket and cuirass before rolling up the sleeves of his undershirt. Stocks earned from completing some of the Trials of Yoraxibis were inked in gold across his arms, standing out against his dark skin and amongst the darker, less prestigious stocks he had.
"And I'd point out that we're not here to fight, Your Highness, but to teach you how to defend yourself. Besides, combat is entirely about etiquette."