“My king,” he said again, and then, angling his bow in Ama’s direction, “My queen-in-waiting.” Ama bowed her head in return, which seemed to flummox the gatekeeper, who bowed even lower, to which Ama nodded her head again, which prompted the gatekeeper to bow so low that Ama feared he may snap in half, so she raised her chin this time instead of lowering it, which seemed to please the gatekeeper, who returned to standing.
