Lion Head Mesa khepresh

she had not thought of their agreement in some time.
somehow it had seemed unimportant. the terms, the contract, the allowances given to pharaoh for his collection of favorites, all of it.

reminded now of the circumstances of her situation, she had no words; but neither did she send him back, as she had once before. there was no struggle against his closeness.

she looked up at him, as he was taller even in the water, and thought of how alone she had felt during his absence. how difficult it had been to be without him for those few terrible, long days and nights.

though her face grew warm, she blamed this on his proximity rather than her true feeling. no— it burst from her awkwardly, this denial, and she breathed in a sigh that filled her lungs with him.
she did not push him away.