ramesses walked the red grounds. he was alone this time, save for cunning sihaya following some paces behind his pharaoh.
with arsenio gone, the palace was missing another of its guards.
eventually the royal man called for
@Sakai. he knew that the
mazoi was favoured by sayf, but chose not to reveal this yet. he was more interested in how the other meant to climb their ranks.
It was easy to lift himself from bed when the Pharaoh called for him. Never mind the chilled air or gusts of wind, the winter clad man was well suited for the cold. A lingering stretch from his dorm and Sakai was off. The guard did not need to travel far to see the Sun God awaiting his arrival in the distance.
Politely, the man gave a low call to his superior and slowed his gait. Kai came to a stop, allowing for a respectful distance between the two. “Pharaoh.” To be in the company of another wolf for once was welcoming, even exciting. Sakai dare not boast power in front of his Lord like he did the coyotes, he didn’t want to. Since first meeting Ramesses, the winter soldier felt a pull, a sort of magnetism that drew him to want to please. After all, it was the man who had given him purpose once more. “It’s good to see you, you’re looking well.” A gracious bow of the head to return up right and painted with a smile. He was indeed a handsome man, this ruler.
ramesses flicked his lapis eyes over the striking physique of the young guard. only his lips suggested he had heard sakai's praise. "walk with me."
expecting his command to be heeded, ramesses continued along his way. "do you intend to be a commander?" he asked softly, his words sweet with an adder's bite beneath them.
was sakai content enough to only roll with the fellahin? ramesses did not know whether he should treasure ambition or the lack of it. he trudged on, waiting for an answer.
And so he followed silently, noticing a bit of a sinking feeling in his chest. Sakai was never one to be too formal with his interactions, but it was probably best to do so with the Pharaoh. The boy was not so naive to not understand this. Although, the question prompted a lingering moment or two while the guard fell into thought.
"I suppose I don't know where my aspirations lie." Having a good time was the actual answer. "I've never really been more than a hunter, which was fine. I've taken a liking to this new position." His gait matched the golden wolf's, but Kai stayed a shoulder-length back. Fighting was surprisingly thrilling to the man as it released much of his held tension in a way he had never expected. The events that had unfolded at the wedding showed him this.
Part of him yearned to see more of it along with to see more of the lands. He wanted to suggest that he may be a decent recruiter or scout, strong both in his character and brawn, but something held the idea uncomfortably in his chest. "I only wish to have purpose in my life. I feel I have been given it here, but I am open to grow where you would see fit. I was a loner for so long... forgive my lack of structure."
sakai understood his weaknesses and his place in the mesa. ramesses relented inside himself and turned the hard blue of his eyes on the mazoi once more. "i have informed sabah that i wish to expand once again. a royal nursery. a safe haven not only for an heir but for children of the fellahin."
they could be transitioned back into the palace once they were able to serve as servants to his own planned brood.
"but we are in need of guards before that."
He liked Kids.
I like kids.
He was essentially a large kid.
I'm pretty much a large kid.
Of course it was understood by the mazoi he would not be hired on as the babysitter, but instead a last line of protection if they were ever invaded. He would likely kill with no question, so Kai was good for the position.
"Understood. I would be happy to help with that." The more said by the man, the higher the risk of saying something dumb. Sakai instead looked for more direction.
sakai took more exuberantly to the idea than sabah had. this garnered him a long look from pharaoh, as if he were appraising the man for other things.
"do you intend to marry?" he asked. the children of guards ranked little more in his mind than the offspring of his servants. but it must be something for which he could prepare.
each life not sired by him was expendable. better to be useful.
he knew that this man was favoured by sayf, which caused a miasma of green to cloud his heart for a moment.
The question was not expected and caught the man off guard. Married? Him? It was almost laughable but Sakai had no problem keeping a straight face through his inner turmoil. He had only just found commitment within a pack, something he thought he would never do, and even some days that seemed overwhelming. At least he was not tied to stay in these lands (at least physically) by joining akashingo. The ghost could come and go as he pleased, so long as he was not on duty. But to have a partner… just one sole partner and not be able to indulge in anyone else?
For a sweet moment, the soldier thought of Sayf but knew it could never be. The fellahin was not truly his. “No.” Kai stated flatly. There was nothing more that needed to be said about the matter, it could be seen in his full eyes.
"very well. there is room here for promotion of a dedicated guard. and in the mountains there is mereo, our outpost. the man who leads is a roman skilled in tactics of military. if you desire more training, i will ask him to visit."
ramesses was pleased by the answer sakai had given. it showed upon his resplendent features.
"have you visited jawahir?" pharaoh asked lightly, now testing around the edges of the guard for a weakness that would suggest a problem.
The sobering reality that the man was truly better off alone immediately hardened the soldier, and so Sakai held his head higher as his commander briefed him. This is what he was meant to do. This and nothing else. "Yes, I would like to have much more training. If possible, it would be great to work with the Roman."
The next question puzzled him, but at this point the pale man was getting used to the curve balls. Jawahir, he had not seen the fellahin since the wedding. "No." Sakai looked to Ramesses for more detail. Should he have?
"you should not have favorites among the fellahin. it might cause jealousy." he held sakai with a gnawing look. "when the imperator visits i will send you to him. go now."
he was dismissed.
ramesses did not look back.
he surveyed the beautiful red lands and thought only of expansion.
Sakai will see himself off after this post!
The look his commander gave him, coupled with the cold tone of voice, nearly made the soldier lash out in an attempt to regain control of his intimate life... but he couldn't. It was not his to fight over. This was a gift that had been given to him by Akashingo, after all. By Ramesses. Without the pack, Kai would have never experienced the pleasures of the fellahin and likely stayed a directionless loser. Sakai bit his tongue and instead offered a curt dip of his head before turning to take leave.