Lion Head Mesa Good Morning, Khepri

Forwarded dated a couple of days, set on 4/10! Tags are for reference, all welcome!

For today, Siptah had given up on trying to ambush his father in his private quarters; instead, he wandered his way up and out of the tunnels, emerging into weak, morning sunlight. He knew better than to go too far from the tunnel entrance, but ever since @Akhtar had taken him out for morning prayer, he had been coming outside every morning to greet the sun. Today, he called out happily, "Good morning, Khepri!" He did not really understand prayer or Gods just yet, but if it got him outside, he supposed he didn't mind it too much. He was sure he wasn't even doing it right, but that didn't matter just yet. After he greeted the sun, the young Prince clambered up onto a flat rock, to await whoever might come through.

he had indulged far too much in drink and in pleasure. 
his mouth was dry. ramesses almost demanded water but instead he dragged himself from his bedplinth and wandered to the wellspring. the royal face was splashed; he blinked, head splitting beneath a loud groan.
Amun frowned.
Ra has risen before you again.
akashingo had a priest and priestess. pharaoh did not think he needed to be included in all rituals but dutifully he strode up the main path leading up and out of the mesa.
there was a child's voice calling.
Khepri.
the lapis eyes searched for and spotted a child. only the proud look of the eyes and his own bearing told the godhead that this was the seed sprung from his own body.
ramesses settled with his back to the redrock wall. "you are greeting the sun."

Siptah had some naïve notion that he would recognize his father's voice, despite having never actually heard it before. When Ramesses left the tunnels and settled with his back against the redstone wall, Siptah took one look at him, and then his eyes widened. His own golden face seemed to be staring back at him - this had to be Ramesses, his father, the Pharaoh. Siptah didn't quite know what to say - all these days this past week of trying to meet him, and now, he was wordless. Starstruck, really. "Father?" Siptah asked, for he didn't want to make a fool of himself. Then, he stammered, "Um... Akhtar told me about the sun God the other day. I kept trying to come see you!" Then, likely an ignorant question, spoken in a tone that could not quite mask the hurt, "Why didn't you see us before?"

father, the child said , and ramesses gave a strained little laugh through an incredulous throat. it seemed scarcely possible that the stripling could address him, not when it felt as though he had barely been born.
pharaoh considered siptah's question for the childish thing it was. "because when women give birth they no longer need their husbands quite so much." bitter. erroneous. but it was their way.
he fixed his eyes to the prince again, marveling reluctantly at what an amalgamation of both himself and satsu the boy had become. "i am glad you have begun your studies with akhtar. he will teach you many things. listen to all of his words." he leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a long moment.

Siptah was too young to understand the bitterness in his father's tone — instead, the boy looked meekly up at Ramesses, and he murmured quietly, "I'm sorry, father." Perhaps he could talk to his mother later, and see why it was that she didn't need Ramesses? Then, they spoke of Akhtar, and the young Prince nodded, ears perking up. "Did Khepri help make you Pharaoh?" It was an innocent question, but privately the Prince thought his father didn't need any help from Gods — surely he was close to Godhood himself?

ramesses shook his head. "do not apologize for things you do not understand. in fact you very rarely need to apologize. you are a prince. you will learn perfection."
the pale head nodded. "all the gods chose me to be what i am today. i would not have become pharaoh without the favour of Khepri. but it is Amun who stands beside me."
the lazuli eyes were curious. "Amun is The Hidden One, He Who Creates Life from Nothing. He is inexplainable, and He is one of the oldest among the gods."
"you must learn all their names. you are divine as well. do not forget this."

Siptah nodded, a look of stoicism coming over his small form as he listened to his father with rapt attention. He was a Prince, he should start acting like it. He decided that, starting now, he would try to be more serious, to be a better Prince.

Then, Ramesses spoke of Gods, and learning their names. Siptah's tail wagged gleefully — he already knew a few thanks to Akhtar. But then, re called his earlier decision to be more serious, so the boy took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts, then said matter-of-factly, "I know Khepri, and Ra... there's another one for the sun, but I don't remember." He would ask the priest to name them again, one of these days.

"And Amun." Three was a good start, right? He blinked, then, as Ramesses reminded him of his own divinity. Quietly, he wondered, "Does that make me a God, too, father? And you?"

ramesses felt his head throb once with a dull sluggish tonality.
"we are the mouthpiece for the gods. they bestow their divine nature to us so we may speak for them in words for others to hear. we are the highest form of priest and ruler as well."
there was much for a prince to learn before he became pharaoh. it was not unusual for a man to assume the throne in his middle years. and no matter what siptah was named, he would have a slate of brothers with which to contend, all vying for the throne.
a prince must learn bloodshed.
"Ra melds with Amun and becomes Amun-Ra. it was from His sweat and His tears that our bodies were created."

Can we fade this soon? <3

It was a lot to take in, but he nodded all the same, hoping he could commit this to his memory; he was already doing well with his morning prayers. He told his father, "I'll pray every morning!" He was trying to be a good Prince, and he had a healthy appetite for knowledge — indeed, his curiosity usually could not be sated. "What else should I know?"

yeah! last for me <3

ramesses' heart felt somehow lighter. his vision had cleared and his head did not hurt so much. "come with me. i will tell you about the goddesses now."
he would lead siptah out of doors to the serpent lake, and speak at length until he saw fit to return himself and the prince.

Siptah happily followed his father, his little tail held high and waving as Ramesses began to speak of Goddesses; they, somehow, held his attention more, and he listened with wide eyes; he lost track of time, but eventually his father led them back. Siptah had enjoyed learning, but he had enjoyed spending time with his father even more.