Sly Fox Sand Dunes daughter of the Gods

must meet @Samirseti !!

 

Pharaoh followed the river. beyond that, she, several fellahin, and @Khusobek sought the scent of their enemy. it seemed they had gone—perhaps it was time to go to the moon villages to advise there was no longer a need for war. the son had been saved, and for good measure Toula had gathered a head to show the might of Akashingo. may they never return. 
a camp was set up near the dunes. Toula leisured for the first time in days—her furs were now groomed to perfection, and she wore the furs of some wintering beast as the winds whipped around her. Toula prayed to the Gods, and contemplated a sacrifice for Them to show her thanks.

muat-riya's crocodile was not fully healed, but he did not ignore the order from pharaoh. servants were mustered, an escort gathered for the godblooded woman, and he strode at the rear of their entourage, eyes sharp for their enemy.
as pharaoh rested, khusobek tried to move without a limp, teeth clenched in concentration. he put a bow about their camp and ordered that a light repast be brought for pharaoh.
and in her presence, he tasted it himself. "i was captain of the guard to your aunt, Divine One. a chambermaid ready to muster," he jested dryly of himself, standing back to maintain stalwart guard while pharaoh enjoyed the richness of her kingdom even here.

omg hello

The fellahin, their heads bowed low, scurried about their tasks in silence, their gazes averted from the woman draped in furs and the imposing man standing vigil nearby. As his golden eyes took in the scene, he knew precisely who sat at its center.

His aunt by marriage, the wife of his uncle Rashepses. Her reputation preceded her. A subtle thing that brought a light laughter to the man's throat.

Samir slowed his pace as he approached, stopping just short of the camp’s edge. His head dipped into a graceful bow, molten eyes lifting briefly to meet hers before dropping again, his expression a mask of polite deference.

A faint smile played at his lips, the corners twisting just enough to betray the cunning that lay beneath.

"Pharaoh Toula," his voice was that of a cobra's, quick like a hiss. A striking vibrato.

horsemeat, laid out in strips neatly before her—paired with its large, still heart. her eyes turned to the man as she watched him test the meat for her, trusting him above so many. after his last ordeal, she knew she did not wish to lose him. she wondered if he knew how hard she had prayed.
his words caused her to smile at the imagery it evoked. were you happy there? she wondered if he ever wished to return. she hoped he did not! now Toula began to sup, mindful to take bites both small and delicate. a look to a fellahin had them bringing the man a portion of the meat to enjoy. you are healing—you must eat, and eat well, she encouraged quietly.
in the distance, another approached. more guardsmen fanned out to create a barrier—Toula watched at its center, still. they were… familiar, somehow. her mind sifted through images as one’s fingers flipped through the pages of a book to find the passage that they sought. he spoke her name, knowing her—she looked at him and felt, impossibly, she knew him too.
was it so impossible? she was a being that transcended this life—was he? the divine woman watched him, quiet and expectant both. she knew Khusobek would make clear her first questions—who was he, and why had he come?

"happy," echoed the wedjet, eyeing the servant with his portion of bounty. "i would not say so. but satisfied, yes. for a time." 

despite the pain in his wound, khusobek did not dip to the flesh; he tightened his eyes upon the fellahin and watched as a tall gilt man came up from the sands.

he approached with too much familiarity for the crocodile, who moved smoothly to arrest the progress oft the pretty man and his scintillating tones. "who comes to greet the God of the Red Land, and why?"

tone brooked no argument; his ice eyes swept over the handsome royal creature, seeing him as akin to their own and yet not moving from his path.

Samir did not falter as the crocodile stepped forward.

He allowed Khusobek’s piercing gaze sweep over him without reaction, his own expression composed, unreadable. Then, with deliberate ease, Samir dipped his head slightly, the motion graceful yet measured, a gesture that spoke of respect without submission.

"I am Samirseti," he said, the low timbre of his vox carrying effortlessly above the encampment. He relished in the cautious flickering of fellahin eyes.

Let them look. Let them bask.

"Of Ta-Senet, blood of Semer-wati Rashepses, and nephew by bond to Pharaoh Toula." His smirk twisted faintly at the corners, sharp and calculating. He moved, if only to slink a few steps sideways, to peek around the crocodilian wolf.

"I am here to pay my respects and offer greetings to the Divine One herself, as is only proper."

she saw the respect. she saw the lack of submission—and wondered at it until his own name was given, and his relation to her. and so made sense, to not submit to the might of the crocodile. but would he recognize his place beneath her? or did he think himself her equal? 
these things fell secondary to what mattered most to her, here and now. Toula swept to a graceful stand, eyes bright as she watched the striding man. no doubt Khusobek would match him up until Toula called him to a halt, but she did not, not yet.
there was true joy in her voice as she greeted him, nephew! and now she saw the why in how she had known him. she saw Rashepses in his features! she smiled at him in earnest. come—pay your respects to your aunt. and tell me, will you be making your home in Akashingo?! oh! the thought brought her joy—to hear stories of Rashepses as an uncle!

khu is now skippable! <3

nephew.

khusobek relented then; he did not trust, but took up a place at pharaoh's right shoulder. samirseti, nephew to rashepses, prince and godling in his own right.

pharaoh welcomed him, and the crocodile kept ears attuned but eyes turned away over the desert.

he came to offer respects; what else did a man with royal blood seek from akashingo?

Samir’s smile deepened at the sound of Toula’s voice, golden eyes flicking past Khusobek to take in the Pharaoh herself.

When he stopped before her, his dark figure dipped into a deep, deliberate bow, molten eyes lifting to meet hers as his voice slipped out smoothly. "Pharaoh Toula," first, he spoke her respected title. "Goddess Aunt, it is an honor to stand before you at last."

"I visited already to pay my respects to you and Akashingo, as my godly father Rahotep intended. But you were absent, I found. Thus, I was forced to treat with your dreadful husband." A tease upon his lips towards the end, a faint, lighthearted joke. One he felt entitled to, granted the shenanigans he and Rashepses had once gotten into.

The terrors of Ta-Senet.

"But now, Ra blesses us, and calls us together at last." He offered her a smile. Samir let himself gather at the haunches and seat before her, partial to pay no mind to the crocodile man at her side.

Her question brought a deep flicker of thought to the forefront of his gold-imbued face. "Pharaoh Rahotep sent me with the intent to join your court at Uncle's side. Yet,"

He paused. He fretted to disappoint Toula. Truly.

"My heart has been claimed. My beloved wishes to forge a legacy of our own, one beholden to our shared Princehood. I cannot find it in me to deny him, you see." As he spoke, he searched Toula's eyes for reaction. Perhaps sympathy, approval. Most of all, he feared anger.

So, slowly, with measure, he added: "But a kingdom is only as strong as its alliances. I do not seek to rival Akashingo, but to stand beside it—an extension of our bloodline's power and dominion over these lands. With your blessing, I would see our courts aligned, unbreakable, so that no foe may challenge Akashingo—nor Vahanet."

he amused her, and she enjoyed this—it colored her opinion of him a pleasant shade. indeed, this was a blessing! the Gods are good, she hummed knowingly. good, yes—good to her, good to her people, even despite all that had recently occurred. it was a test of faith—Toula remained loyal to Them, and They still to her.
love kept him from her, from them. but Toula could not find fault in that. love directed many of her choices, after all. it brought Rashepses to her side, and her to his. you shall be Pharaonic Keeper of the lotus sands, the Goddess blessed him, titled him. by her blessing, he could rule—her gift to him. her eyes glittered with great warmth. love shall unite us—not separate us! she proclaimed, that same warmth infusing her words. your claim shall strengthen Akashingo—as surely as our own will grant to you. perhaps one of our own might come to join you, as a show of good faith—have you any men in need of marrying? she pondered, her smile lingering.

"You honor me, Pharaoh Toula. Your blessing fills my heart with gratitude, and I will ensure the sands flourish under this title. I shall be a reflection of Akashingo's greatness."

Her proclamation brought a spark of intrigue to his gaze.

Love shall unite us—not separate us.

Toula’s confidence in their alignment bolstered his own. This was not the rejection he had quietly feared but an embrace of his vision, his ambition. She was willing to entwine their courts in mutual strength, to foster an alliance as unyielding as the desert sun.

At her suggestion, Samir’s smirk deepened, his tail flicking behind him with idle amusement. "Men in need of marrying?" he echoed, a hum upon the throat. "Not presently, though if such an offer is extended in good faith, I will certainly ensure the suitors are worthy. Vahanet will gladly welcome any bond that strengthens our kinship." He spoke warmly.

He regarded Toula warmly. Warm eyes, warm voice, warm heart.

"Love is indeed a powerful force, Aunt. It directs my choices, as it has directed yours." He reaches to place a paw upon her own, a touch both strengthening and bonding. "Now, tell me: how did my jackal-hearted Uncle win the heart of you?" Flattery. Samirseti knew how, of course.

A certain, undeniable charm encompassed men of their family. Samir, now, wore it like a flag of pride. He was everything and more. The pinnacle of his breeding.