Lion Head Mesa anodized

to pharaoh's court she went, leaving nala in the affectionate hands of princess lilitu's aunt maia.

there was some relief to descend into the flatlands again, and walk the long road back to the palace. beneath her paws it changed from grass to red earth, and then another twenty minutes' trotting brought her to the rough steps.

"tell him i must see him," tavina told whatever servant was in attendance. she stood in ramesses' empty throne room and waited.

ramesses had been whiling away the midday hour with @Treva, in whatever honeyed ways she saw fit.
he was irritated to see the sheepish servant bowing low, whispering that the physician had returned and desired an audience with him at once. maegi's death still stung ramesses, who vaguely blamed tavina.

"come to court with me," he urged. "appear as queen." but it was not a command. with or without her he would go, striding to the throne-room and settling upon his throne before he so much as addressed the woman.

that of the queen was beside him.

she had given pharaoh all and then some. content to waste away the hottest hours of the day in the coolness of his lapis gaze.

but somebody disturbed them.

tavina returned.

treva had questions and wonders of the trip, but spoke none of them. instead she did what her days commanded of her now. a strong face, a steadfast way.

she played her role of queen well, she thought, as she too settled into silence. awaiting the words of the sesh.

the pharaoh and treva came. 

she would be queen. the sesh bowed low before the royal pair, waiting as guards and fellahin alike filtered silently into the chambers. 

their eyes, all upon her. tavina lifted her chin. "divine ones. i have met a woman formerly of the saints. i have known her some time, though i did not know her as a saint until recently."

she paused, waiting especially for ramesses' reaction. and then she went on. "she has left them, great ones. she did not know their history. under shelter of princess lilitu, she waits in brecheliant in sanctuary."

a breath. a flash of purple eyes. "i care very much for her. i want to bring her here."

tavina was windswept and earnest. yet all ramesses could hear was betrayal or shades of it. pharaoh's heart hardened the more that the sesh spoke, until he was left dark blue and staunch white marble, cold. untouchable.
"how can you be certain she is not a spy?"
how dare you ask me for this.
tavina's place among them, now, was precarious.
his head moved upon its proud neck. ramesses looked to treva.

pharaoh seethed.

treva warmed beneath it. this was a matter of hearts and treva's had been softened greatly by the tending of tavina in the prior weeks.

half-lidded green gaze settled on the sesh.

what is the worth she brings vurses the damage she may cause?

her gaze grew heavy with curiosity. a lingering sensation told her that the worth of this woman was weighted upon the worth of tavina.

ramesses was filled with anger. treva was a gentler sight.

"she is a trained bard. and she has lived among warriors, though she is not one of them. she could bring us insight into their training practices."

tavina bowed again. "if she is a spy, divine one, then let it be upon my head. but i do not think she is." and she did not think she had often been wrong about character.

treva asked after the worth of this saint. it deepened ramesses' ire, though he chided himself. as queen, she would handle many matters of state. this was only the first.
tavina spoke of the intelligence that this woman might bring. pharaoh saw it as the only aspect of merit about the entire situation. 
"it will be upon your head. what have you told her of akashingo?"

a fair answer.

treva may not have seen the worth in a hard, but a bard would have a place in akashingo. silently she dwelled on these matters.

might the pharaoh make her lowest till proven otherwise? perhaps she would be given the work of a fellahin — a thought that ached her heart for tavina.

there were other questions first and she sat contented in her thoughtful silence as pharaoh spoke.

"she knows that we mourned former queen satsu." tavina chose her words with care, as much to appease ramesses as not to upset the very delicate sense of allyship she felt with treva.

"but she has not even been to our gates. i kept her away, and that is why i asked the princess for her order. i wanted first to speak with you."

she could not tell if the tide was turning.

unknowing of his queen's mind, ramesses thought delightedly of how cruel it would be to make this wolf serve below him, as it were. as fellahin. but this would do nothing for his control of tavina, who would surely either elope from akashingo or try to poison him.
his lapis eyes narrowed.
"the late queen arranged many of our ranks. no one has held the title of sanpin. disgraced one." she was tainted enough by her affiliation with nyra; he did not know how he could stomach it.
"if she is able to provide insight into their training, she may stay on a hesitant invitation. three months as sanpin."
and she would be forced to toil with the lowest work, though not in his bed. this was a special respect to tavina.
he looked toward treva, to see if she had anything to add.

pharaoh skipped fellahin and treva felt some lightening on behalf of tavina.

even if the title descended upon was one new and low. this felt like a near kindness. it could have been months longer, it could have been the work of a fellahin, it could have been a many thing.

she hoped tavina saw the glimpse of kindness in this different fate.

three months, she echoed with a tone that she hoped conveyed to tavina that this was a best outcome.

she would summon tavina privately after this court, regardless of the thoughts of pharaoh.

nala's introduction to akashingo would be punishment. tavina hated this, but saw that she had no other recourse.

echoed in the voice of the queen, that was all.

"thank you, divine ones. i will leave directly to bring nala here." her name echoed in the room. somehow it felt right there.

"the noble maegi is dead. you will stay a while to tend her children. three days at least." the words were spoken coldly. he wanted to remind tavina of her responsibilities.
"then you may go to brecheliant. you will bring this nala before your divine lords at once."
his chin jerked. it was a dismissal.

pharoh spoke commands that treva did not disagree with.

besides, to leave so soon once more would do nobody any good.

when the sesh was dismissed, treva sought to reconcile from the uglier parts of this afternoon in the company of ramesses. there were still many free hours to be given. all of them to him, if he wished it.

in the night, after things had settled, she would speak with the sesh.

that was it then. the news of maegi's death sickened her.

the doctor bowed backward from the throne room. and when she was alone, she shed bitter, relieved tears for the noblewoman and the children she left behind.

ramesses was irate; his tailtip stirred like that of a cat as tavina bowed and was gone from them. he wanted no saint beneath his roof; charles was enough. and no one knew his origins, or at least pharaoh assumed.
he let out his breath, a wavering, long-suffering sound of annoyance, and closed his lazuli eyes with a flare of delicate nostrils.
"shall we visit the wellspring?" he asked, already sliding from his throne and moving toward the doorway. the attention of the fellahin would do him well, would wash all this ugly talk of saints from his palate. for now.

close? <3

that would be best. there was no doubt they both would be tended to there, under watchful eyes and dutiful work.

she had little desire to speak more on these matters today.

there was always tomorrow...