Lion Head Mesa Egó

Morning had arrived with frost first and then the droplets of rainfall that sprinkled across every blade of grass and dappled each tree in icy water. Arsenio had awoken to find that the queen would be busy with her work in Akashingo for most of the day, preparations for the wedding and for the war that was at their heels. The Greek was not needed to remain close to the queen, as her servants appeared to be busy doting at her side.

Instead, Arsenio lumbered into the heart of the caverns to search for the Pharaoh @Ramesses. Truthfully, he did not wish to speak to the ruler, not so soon after their first talk, but he knew that it would not look good on him to forget the offer – visiting the king’s court was an important item. Arsenio wished to stay out of the man’s negative eye for as long as he could. This would mean playing the Pharaoh’s games.

Sniffing softly at the air, the Greek hunted for the king and his court.

tags for ref!

ramesses' court was rather lively. 
still enchanted by @Sayf, he kept the young harlot close in his embrace. @Jawahir was upon his other side, plied with kisses in the same way. germanicus stood before the throne, outlining crowfeather's plan for the second time in a steady, informative voice.
the ursus wolves had also been invited, those of whom were known to the pharaoh. merrick and his son @Aventus. the former stood also before pharaoh, bristling at each of the roman's points and beginning to turn to brittle rage when the bear went ignored once more.
merrick had yet told no one he had already sent spies to locate the verminous saints. 
he wanted only that the word of the true god be heard in this horrible place.
@Satsu was with tamar. that was enough for ramesses.
at the very moment arsenio walked among them, ramesses' laughter was lifting at some joke or another, the bearking's tones had become strung and high, and germanicus was swiftly losing patience.
"ah! come here, greek," pharaoh shouted above the din and the giggling. "settle an argument for us!"

The noise of the king’s court was a mighty sound. Arsenio moved his way through the wolves gathered there, ears swiveling to catch only the tail end of words here and there, the fragrance of leaves and fruity drinks was heavy in the air.

Pharaoh’s laugh filled the hall, drawing the icy gaze of the mercenary to where he was conversing with others. Arsenio offered a dullard’s chuckle before he trotted toward the summons. There was an easy sway to his movements. The heavy fall of his paws was a sure sign of his simplicity. Oh, but the Greek man did not seem at all bothered by the Pharaoh’s call, or the intrigue of their discussions.

Yes, yes, of course I will, Arsenio returned, nodding his head with vigor.

The misthofóros closed the space and stood attentively before the ruler. His ears were pointed to listen closely, the glassy look in his eyes drifted lazily between the wolves gathered there.

there he was, the bumbling fish merchant oaf. could germanicus do no better than this one? as ramesses watched arsenio approached, however, he grew a new appreciation for the heavy muscles that rolled under the scarlet fur.
he grew also a spear of jealousy. suppose satsu thought the same of her mindless guardian? they were alone enough.
"merrick of the bears thinks we should move now. germanicus of nowhere thinks we should lay a border and build our strength."
the eyes in the room all shifted to arsenio. 
ramesses smiled cruelly.

The fool’s smile did not fade from his features as the Pharaoh offered the debate between the three men. Arsenio flipped his gaze slowly from each of them before he laughed, a loud and rowdy noise that filled the chambers and reverberated back. The wag of his tail came steadily. The Greek looked quite amused to have been called to the war chambers to offer his opinion on these matters.

Germanikos sounds like a man of logic, the misthofóros said loudly, grinning from ear to ear like a boy who had just snared a rabbit. I have never been for such things. I would say to fight. It is how men show their worth!

Arsenio did not wish to give away his alliance with the Roman soldier. In fact, as his pink tongue flicked across the hairs of his whiskers and he leaned into where they spoke, it looked as though the court’s jester had been invited to weigh in on matters of war. What does the king of the court think? Arsenio asked, looking to the ruler as if he looked right through the man.

merrick sneered something like a smile.
the face of germanicus was impassive and unreadable.
ramesses shifted to and fro, laving sayf's neck with a lick and kissing jawahir's mouth, teasingly, softly, before he saw fit to answer.
the greek's eyes rested too heavily upon him.
"i say that when we have her head, we set it where it might be seen. where it might rot and reek and become bleached bones."
the sea-dark eyes watched arsenio.
"the military planning must be given to someone else. germanicus," and pharaoh did not shift. "you will take the role of royal chief tactician."
he grinned at the roman, and then back toward the guard. "will you drink with us?"

The king was mad.

Arsenio laughed again, louder than before. When the squint had faded from his eyes, the Greek man looked to each of the others like a young boy seeking approval. He wanted them to believe that they were honoring a pathetic low life, a scoundrel, with the chance to sit beside them and discuss such things as war tactics. Arsenio had the build of a fighter, that much was evident, but he was just a poor fool.

The Pharaoh wanted him to drink. The Greek wanted to decline and return to the lady’s chambers so that he might watch Tamar fuss about near Satsu. It seemed a great deal more enjoyable than playing the dullard for these men, the soldier aside.

Yes, of course, of course, Arsenio bobbed his head with a bubbling chuckle, a man tickled. But only a little. I must return to guard the lady queen. This time his smile did not fade, or flicker, but he blinked a slow lizard’s blink at each of the three wolves before him and chuckled once more.

it was not the correct answer in pharaoh's mind.
arsenio seemed at once too eager to return to satsu. ramesses saw only deceit in what had been said. what had been told to him. of course this man wished to lay with his queen! look how he chafed to return to her now!
he thought carefully about how he might replace arsenio.
"come." he indicated that the greek should stand with the silent imperator.
ramesses grinned at the other men and began a ribald joke that ended with a horrible crudeness.

For a man who cared so deeply for his betrothed, Ramesses showed it in strange ways. The Greek could not understand why it did not bother him that his lady’s guard was absent from her, that she could be approached any moment by a spy, a rogue, and that would be all it would take to end her. Was it only her body that was so coveted? Arsenio did not like the man. He did not like being near him.

The auburn wolf plodded lazily toward Germanicus and took a spot at his side. He stared dreamily toward the other wolf – the one with the missing eye. He looked a mad fool, too. There was a dance of wicked fire in the light of his remaining eye. That was the wolf he had called Merrick of the bears.

A rowdy bunch we are, the Greek chortled merrily, tilting his head with fascination at Merrick.

satsu was never far from his mind.
he thought of her even now. how would she think to see him glinting like alabaster among these roughened men? it was not enough perhaps that he was her betrothed.
ramesses wished to be desirable to her.
he stared at the man merrick, who glowered back and soon stalked from the throne room altogether. "an odd, violent sort. it was my hope that he might find camaraderie among us."
pharaoh turned his eyes on germanicus. "you may leave us, imperator."
soon it was quite nearly only he and his courtesans and arsenio. "her maid is very beautiful."

The tables turned as the one-eyed wolf turned to leave and the Pharaoh dismissed the Roman soldier.

Was this what he had wanted? To get the Greek man alone?

Arsenio did what he could to appear unbothered, pleased to be in the presence of the ruler. When the other men had left, the Pharaoh made a remark about Tamar. The Greek grinned, knowing that if he disagreed or lied that the cunning man would know. He could play the fool, but he did not wish for Ramesses to believe that he was a liar.

Oh, you have a fine eye for lovely ladies! This is good in a king. The queen’s maid is a good girl, very doting upon the lady, always there to serve. She is a sight, you are right. My own daughter looks very much like her, a little more of her dad’s red fur, of course, but close. Close enough that it makes me long for home.

Talk until he tires of you, Arsenio thought.

the greek prattled on. ramesses kept his face carefully arranged.
that the maid reminded the man of his daughter was hardly something he believed, but perhaps there was some truth in it.
"i intend for the queen to have several such servants." 
he was quiet, thinking. ramesses coveted the gift he had given. if this toad could be prevailed upon to seduce tamar, then she would no longer be fit for satsu's employ. she would then fall to the pharaoh and his pleasure barge.
with a wave of his paw he sent sayf and jawahir away, and when they had gone, pharaoh reclined once more.
"i want to know if she takes a lover. a ... ruined servant would only disgrace her mistress. you and i cannot allow this to happen." the smile was intimate, inviting. the dark eyes were malicious.

Arsenio continued to smile, pleasantly waving his tail to the Pharaoh’s words – words that spiked fear in his belly, anger in his chest, and filled him to the brim with indescribable indignance. This king was a spoiled little brat, the Greek would revel in an opportunity to sink his fangs into the ruler’s throat and rip it clean from his gold-dusted figure.

The Pharaoh stated that he would like to know if Tamar took a lover. Arsenio blinked several times before he nodded his head daftly.

The king would like for me to guard both ladies? You want reports for the servant and the queen? Their activities are rather boring, but I will tell the king what he wishes, the Greek man babbled with a thoughtful glean in his eye. All these things he would tell the Roman soldier, too. Their conversation would be relayed to the yellow-eyed man who had been instructed to leave, Arsenio had no hesitation in that.

ramesses gleamed with the delight of one who has found a particularly dull head to pat. "that is correct. report to me." pharaoh knew nothing of how the man had come to be in the palace, only that he did not trust germanicus. and so he did not trust this one.
the difference was that the roman had never evinced love for anything. arsenio was a man of humour and, ramesses believed, boisterous, deceptive tastes.
"to akashingo!" the royal exclaimed, licking a tongueful of berries to nestle along his gumline and slowly release their fermented juice. "you might return now. she should not be alone for long."
but first arsenio would drink. the imperial gaze demanded this be so.

Oh yes, yes, of course!

Arsenio nodded until his neck ached, smiling happily at the ruler. So many masks for so many wolves, the Greek knew that he would feel dead on his paws before the end of it. It did not matter, for it was a job and he was not to be sent to the underworld for such trivial things. Certainly not for the likes of a spoiled man child like Ramesses.

To the king and queen! Arsenio chimed in jovially, throwing his head back to laugh warmly at the man.

To your death, Pharaoh, the misthofóros thought, a cold knot settling in the put of his stomach. How hard would it be to find poison for the man’s berries, for his meats? The thought sat on the front of his mind as he bowed his head. I will return now, at your command. Arsenio was sure to look daftly at the Pharaoh, to make him give the command again. His glassy gaze had a faraway look to it.

"drink, arsenio."
there was no one else present to hear the way that ramesses' voice turned to ice, how his eyes turned to chips of it and he stared at the guard with intense command.
a gambit. if arsenio did not take his order he might fire the man that very hour, regardless of who had placed him in the palace.

There was a glimpse of the demon behind the Pharaoh’s eye.

Arsenio did not recoil or flicker. He stared foolishly, fearlessly into the other man’s features and grinned. The Greek man held this for a time before he bowed his head to partake of the Pharaoh’s offerings. The sweetness of it was shocking, leaving a tartness behind on the roof of his mouth and the back of his throat. The Pharaoh used his sweet and beautiful things to hide the rotting devil underneath.

Nóstimo!

Arsenio waited with a slow blink for the fiend to dismiss him back to his wife’s doorway. The misthofóros knew that he would taste the fruits on his tongue until morning.

was the greek foolish or reluctant?
pharaoh did not truly care now. his features were fey and smug and feline as he leant back upon his throne. conquering the guard even in this small way was a victory over the imperator who had acted so brashly without ramesses' consult.
and so the royal punished arsenio.
"very good," he crooned in open condescension. "go back to my queen, guard. see that she wants for nothing."
the seawash eyes would trail after the mercenary until he was gone.

Nai, Faraó the Greek said with another bow. This time he was certain to make sure he offered the proper respect to the man. After all, Arsenio had just eaten the berries that were offered, he had savored the fruit in all its sweet tang.

The burly figure plodded back on heavy paws until he had reached his post outside of the queen’s bedchamber. He did not look inside but positioned himself so that he blocked the entrance from any who dared visit her in the night. Then, he lowered himself to his belly and watched.