Lion Head Mesa [wp] terror

she tried to depart the scene as quickly as she could.

her gut churned in twisted, sickening ways.

admittedly she had not a clue if @Tavina followed her down the halls. all that mattered was she placed herself somewhere far from crowds, from the scene. it was not a hard task when everybody was likely so preoccupied with the horror show.

the contents of her stomach were scarce, but they came up all the same.

a splatter as she heard sounds and chatter far in the background.

so she did.

"nala," she called, still slightly drunken as she had been with akhtar. "please. stop." she caught her lover and spun them both into an empty room.

"oh," and nala was sick! she stooped down beside her love. "i am so sorry. i had — i had no idea."

how ugly she felt.

tired and worn and sick.

she had likely made a fool of herself, and in turn made a fool of tavina. tears climbed her eyes and she found herself unable to stop them.

she collapsed into herself. silent and sick, for a long moment. unable to speak anything back.

neither of them spoke. she hovered close, then sought to pull nala into the cradle of her arms.

"let us go to bed. no more celebrating tonight, no more — shocks." she stroked the hot brow. "let me take care of you, nala."

tavina held her close.

why?

she finally managed, not in a rebuttal to the care of tavina. rather a grander question. why on earth had the child done that?

the pharaoh had seemingly approved of it in full.

others had followed in turn. some seemed nearly as disgruntled as herself.

she heaved again. this time dry and empty.

"there seems to be some anger in the palace, though i could not tell you why or whom." she felt nala retch; she turned away and back with a half-wetted skin, which she slid upon the other's warm face.

"come now. no more talking," and she would help her love now to their little rooms, far from the party.

no more talking.

something she could settle into as well as she could the role of patient. far too eager and frantic as they made their way to their shared space. the one place in the palace that truly felt home.

it would be there that she quickly threw herself upon their slumbering place. deeply soaking in the mingle of scents.

only then would she speak. in a mumble —

anger?

tavina shook her head. "things of royalty. things of spoiled nature." she bustled about, tucking nala into their bed and fussing above her brow.

"bring salt and honey," she told a servant, and when it was there, she offered a drop of it to nala. "for your stomach. eat. settle. you will be off your feet the remainder of the night."

fade? <3

the politics soared over he head. truthfully, uncertain of things besides what she heard in chores — or what tavina informed her upon.

all she cared was that pharaoh did not fling her out into the flatlands.

in the meantime, she would be tended to. off her feet for the night, something to worry about in the morning. would sayf have her ear for this? would the queen find such punishable?

things she could not put deep thought into, as she took the drop from tavina, already feeling exhausted from the rush of the evening.