Lion Head Mesa scepter

makono was angry with him.
this truth dominated all of ramesses' waking hours, and he was forced to come to terms with the fact that she was his favourite. he loved all of his children and saw akashingo's future in siptah's sparring, but he disliked that the princess had turned so coldly away from him.
but like his descendant, ramesses had a wide and gilded streak of pride that disallowed him from seeking her out. 
he walked around the mesa six times, listening to his paws trudge in the red sand. 
"bring the girl @Nazli here," he finally ordered a silent attendant. "but not if she is with the princess makono. see that you find her alone and give her my summons."

The princess required breakfast, then after was to visit the wellspring; it was during this moment that Nazli was left without any work as there were other fellahin to mind the waters that day - as well as the sanpin - so when she was told to step away and seek out the pharaoh she did as she was told, and rightly so.

He had never asked for her by name. So often the godhead spoke only with Sayf, who then organized the fellahin properly, that this seemed out-of-place; she hurried to tend to his needs, having been told he was on walkabout.

As Nazli came upon him she had her eyes averted, her head bowed and then bowing deeper as she came to him, her tail low with a nervous twitch; dare she even speak? She did not know what was appropriate, and was almost too afraid to make a sound. Had she done something wrong?

pharaoh cast a critical eye over the girl as she came to attend him. she was pretty, and more wolfish than the one who had borne her.
but he did not know who had fathered her. and so his bias was complete.
still, she was hard-working and dutiful.
"you need have no fear of me," ramesses intoned. he continues his walk, an elegant amble upon the outskirts of the palace.
this one was makono's confidant, he was sure of it. they had gone together to mereo, they were seen often together, and their not disparate ages made for good company.
"tell me how the princess is today."

He so ordered her not to be afraid, and if only Nazli could banish the sensation on a whim! She did ease her posture slightly, for the lord's benefit, and fell in to step alongside him as she would the princess, but the feeling prevailed.

Asking after his daughter, next. She... has not spoken much, which is... Not usual for her.

It felt wrong to inform upon her friend and so she was careful, but also knowing this was Akashingo's ruler who sought answers made it difficult to lie or to hide much.

She took her breakfast alone and now is tended in the spring by the sanpin. Which was all well and good, except that Nazli was usually there to do the work, and the additional body meant she was for once, superfluous.

makono had withdrawn. she had not spoken. she had eaten alone. he did not like that she was left to the devices of the sanpin, but raising a tooth to the divine child in the middle of her own palace would mean an immediate and bloody death. he simply trusted she would not.
ramesses accepted all this silently and without a gesture to indicate he had heard anything. his heart roiled inside him. he did not want to place the fellahin as his spy, he wanted only a report upon makono's well-being.
"i want to make a grand gift to her. tell me the colors and items she enjoys. her fondest objects. do not describe their details. only give to me a sense of the princess' favoured palette."

Of course Nazli knew what the princess liked; they spent so much time together, and with the girl being an observant attendant, she could come up with some ideas quickly.

She is most fond of... soft things. Objects that are red like the palace sands, or purple in the way the sky becomes deep before the sun sets. She had not meant to sound so fanciful with her description, but pharaoh had not wanted specifics.

If it.. pleases you, sir, I could... Take the sanpin and gather a selection for you, her voice got smaller as she spoke, and ended with a nervous swallow.

ramesses listened, and this time his expression did soften somewhat as nazli offered him what he wished in a soft voice.
"yes. that would please me, fellahin," he said in a heavy voice meant to favour her, smother her like a cone of fat and myrrh.
a thought touched his mind. he walked on. "have you spent much time with our crown prince siptah?"

So she was given a mission. Nazli knew precisely what would please Makono and where to find such things, so it would be an easy task that she would savor as long as she could.

Then the pharaoh brought up the prince, which was not expected.

Not... since my assignment, sir, Makono took most of her spare time between chores. Thinking of her like some sort of errand felt wrong.

Is there something I could do for... his majesty, as well? Nazli wondered. She could not think of any way she could be of use to the boy, given he was so often busy with lessons.

ramesses was implacable. he stared at nazli for a long moment.
"not yet."
and then the king went on, spine straight, upright in the manner of a man walking with hands crossed behind his back. "go to visit him once a week. even if he does nothing, help him grow accustomed to your company, and you to his."
after all, there would come a time when even nazli's future must be determined: what better way than as a gift to siptah from makono?

My brain is the mind-blown emoji rn

Nazli nods, accepting this request as she would any other by a superior; rarely was she given a task by Ramesses himself and she knew not to question him.

Yes, sir. She wasn't mindful of why and only factored in the how, being a good servant.

After, she waited to hear more - or await dismissal patiently.

:D

"go back to your mistress, nazli," ramesses said kindly, and set his lazuli eyes upon her. "she is blessed to have so faithful a servant."
there was warmth in his voice, yes; and a warning, lurking beneath.
he would watch until she was gone, then call for a guard before breaking into a run that exemplified his lithe figure, racing across the red soil of the mesaland.

Nazli rarely felt a sense of pride for her work, but to be praised by pharaoh kindled a strong feeling she had never noticed before.

She was away at once, finding her steps lighter and her mind empty except for the good feeling left there, and would try her best to focus on work again.