Princess Aurelia bint-Damir.
Utica International Airport, 50 kilometers from Utica.
Utica International was a huge airport: Six runways, one of them for the gigantic Sinaljanah S-900 Eimlaq Turboprop Airliner (one of them stood at the ready in parking position, it's engines off), a huge terminal with three quarters of it underground, a tower, which seemed large enough to pierce the heavens itself...
...and not one military plane in sight.
Sure, the Armed Forces would use this airport in times of need, but right now, this was a wholly civilian airport and proud of it.
I stood under a canopy, at the end of a red carpet, detachments of the Airport Fire Department and the Airport Police Station lining the red carpet in lieu of a platoon of soldiers - those would come soon enough. With me under the canopy was Sarina Eahira, my Personal Handmaiden, who carried a tablet with high flute glasses filled with water, as part of an old gesture of friendship and appreciation.
And we would appreciate our guests: Queen Callista IV of Mervay led a delegation to the Sultanate, one of the many steps in the Kyrenaian diplomatic initiative aimed at not only becoming more friendly with the power of the Strategic and Economic Alliance, but also to reach a sort-of agreement, something we all could profit from if Kyrenaia could reach entrance to SEA's markets with reduced tariffs.
We had no hopes of achieving zero tariffs, that was reserved for SEA-Members and we didn't want to join SEA, but reduced tariffs would be a good advantage.
That, and improved relations with another major power was always something nice.
Hence why I stood here, dressed in Firstan Alshams and would welcome our guest - as the Granddaughter of the Sultana, there was of course a reason as to why I had been asked to welcome Callista. Usually, the platform for visitors and spectators, where they would watch planes, would be crowded by people wanting to see the visitor of state as well, but due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, it was closed down. The airport, however, had asked for people to send their banners for them to set them up on the platform, which resulted in many banners being displayed, welcoming Callista and her delegation, wishing them and Mervay good health and so on.
Cameras streamed everything into the internet and into TV, where, to my knowledge, KBC was showing everything live. And there would be a lot to see: After I would welcome her and her delegation, we would go inside of the terminal, where Callista and her company would meet some people of the airport and of the security.
Then, a special tram would take us from Utica International to Utica Central Railway Station and from there, we would take an escorted carriage ride through the city to the Palace of the Azure Hall, where they would be welcomed by the Sultana. She had told me, that she had something special in mind, but she had not said anything as to what...
Anyway, I stood here and waited in the October Heat of Utica - it was morning, so we were in the middle 20° Celsius, it would get a lot hotter, the Lioness gazed upon us, the sky was blue and not a cloud in sight.
Typical.
It would get drastically hotter over the day.
"Princess.", an aide from the airport said and approached me, stopping just shy of two meters in distance - COVID-19 and thus social distancing. "Air Control reports the plane carrying our guests has entered our airspace. Arrival time around five minutes."
I nodded. "Thank you."
As soon as he was gone, I took a deep breath.
This was not my first diplomatic job, I had accompanied Dad as a Special Junior Ambassador before I was allowed to vote for Utica's Mayor (technically, as Royalty, I didn't vote), but it was always something special.
Calm down, Aurelia. It would all turn out well in the end!