Lion Head Mesa cypress

only if you have the time, otherwise can be AW <3

today, she wished to see @Glaukos, the soldier her father had spoken of.

he was of mereo. he was strong, supposedly strong enough. she wished to see this for herself. and perhaps she was too young to be holding some sort of small version of court like this. perhaps she just enjoyed the momentary control it gave her. she would see that a fellahin remained near her. some semblance of control here too.

it soothed the grief in her soul.

when — if — he arrived, she would greet him with only a silent, blue stare.

One of the wire-bodied slaves came to fetch him while he ate. They insisted that his presence was required elsewhere. For a moment Glaukos entertained the thought of finishing his meal and grabbing the fellahin as a second course — which they apparently felt when he glared at them, and scurried out of reach.

He finished his meal and took his time to follow. The coyote led him to one of the larger rooms he had not had the priviledge of guarding quite yet, or entering, and bade him do so now. He ducked in to the chamber and felt some of his anxiety about the stonework ease; there was ample space in this particular room.

Then he was met by a cool-eyed stare from someone a quarter of his size. The way the fellahin rushed to attend them gave Glaukos an idea as to the girl's importance — but he still didn't know why he had been summoned by a child. He moved to stand before her and met her haughty look with one of indifference.

he resembled the mountains in the distance.

she soaked in the sight of him. a soldier without doubt. her father had not been wrong, but she dared not think about him ever being such. briefly she thought of her mother. if whatever had seized her would be stopped from reaching her by a man like him.

some blip of fear stirred in her heart, she dared her face to remain still.

if lapis eyes grew watery, she blinked it away and turned her gaze elsewhere.

my father says you're from mereo,

Aside from his initial entrance to Akashingo and the frenzied meeting with the pharaoh as the soldiers arrived, Glaukos had not seen much of the proclaimed pharaoh. He thought he saw a lot of him in her, when she looked upon him. There was a sense that Glaukos was being appraised; he thought he saw some shine in the girl's eye, which might have been fear of him for his size, or a trick of the light, he couldn't have been sure. It did make him feel powerful for a milisecond.

Her question, the timbre of her voice, was a clear mimicry of someone else. It was an obvious statement that made him want to roll his eyes but, thankfully, Germanicus' work upon Glaukos had paid off. He remained resolute, lodged firmly within a soldier's stoicism.

Yes. A tribunus. Which would likely mean nothing to the child, he thought. He did not elaborate.

she did not know the title he presented.

she did know there was embarrassment in having to ask, so she did no such thing. unable to bring herself to see even more girlish when it was not necessary. she wished to be as put together as she had been taught to be, to carry herself with all the grace of a proper princess.

it was the least she could do in the wake of her mother's departure.

how long have you been a soldier?

LORD it finally happened, years in to this game and dozens of characters active, and i post with the wRoNg AcCoUnT x_x

It seemed a pointless question for Glaukos, but he knew better than to stay silent. He was not a patient man nor was he skilled with children, so there was a hesitation on his part to answer, as he gathered his thoughts and tempered himself.

I've fought for as long as I've lived. He answered, finding the response suited his needs. Was it worth it to explain what made a soldier to begin with? This girl had no understanding of the kind of life Glaukos had led; she lived in a palace, in the lap of luxury. She was the antithesis of everything he had grown out of.

Tension settled in his jaw as he thought of something else to say, then how to say it politely. He was raised through spite for the sole purpose of being used by others, so it took a moment for his locution to match her probable standard.

Is there something you want of me, or is twenty-questions the only game on your mind? Okay, he could've phrased that a little differently, but... this was Glaukos.

oops, happy to have the honor? LOL

she stared at him as heavily as a royal girl could.

not yet the trained stare of her father, but certainly heading that way with practice. and he was her practice in this moment. with this stare she took in his stature after his unruly question.

he was strong, no denying the lean athleticism even if it was not pure bulk. he was perhaps the largest beast she had ever seen at all. briefly her heart was devoured with such an envious spark of him and it undeniably showed on her features.

i'm supposed to go to mereo when i'm ready for visitors, she told him finally. i want you as a guard.

big talk, big words. holding court with a soldier she had never met before.

makono did her best to hold her composure despite the rapid kick of her heart.

Glaukos was rarely mindful of his behavior around other soldiers, so it was of no surprise that he spoke candidly before this girl. She was royalty in Akashingo and that rewarded some patience from him, though little else. The man had a job to do and that was all.

I want you as a guard. Said the princess.

Mereo isn't fancy like your palace, princess. He didn't say this to caution her. Glaukos was growing fond of his true home and wondered if she had the spine to say no to this thing she was supposed to do. Besides, who orders a princess to do anything?

Rhetoric.

He didn't really care — he'd do it, because it was his job. Glaukos wondered if the girl knew her own motivations or if she was only her father's pawn. He watches her a moment longer, but then shrugs, nods.

If you want to see Mereo, I'll take you when my tour is up.

she found discomfort in him as much as she did excitement.

i decided to go to mereo, by myself.

only so she did not need to be at odds with her sister. makono had some inkling of self awareness. she did, truly, like her sister. why would she create tension between them by being competing princesses at brecheliant?

then he declared he would take her when his tour was up.

when? she demanded of him.

It was nearer the beginning of June that Germanicus and the other soldiers had arrived, and that was when Glaukos' term began. He thought to himself of when he should return, knowing it should be a month (two fortnights); so when Makono asked when, he answered swiftly:

My time here ends in one fortnight; that is fourteen days. He did not know if anyone had taught her a soldier's terminology. She could decide for herself if she could wait that long. Glaukos watched her patiently.

fourteen days.

she considered how quickly those days would pass, how quickly all days passed in mourning. each turn of the sun another day to soothe the soul of her gone mother.

okay, and she felt that that might be the end of this.

you're free to go. if that's all.

as if she had not called him here.