Two Eyes Cenote [b] sooner or later

one post for tavina!

the sesh wished greatly to scold khusobek, as if he were able to control how many robust children inji's slight body managed to house. she sent word first to @Eset even as she was bustling for the chambers of the lotus and the crocodile. they would tend this birth together while nazli was away on expedition.

khusobek paced; she bundled him into the room and alongside inji. the poor girl had started her labor weeks ago, tavina was sure of it, a crushing spinal tribulation that at last culminated in this hour. tavina paced with the young woman, wet her brow with cloths, admitted no one save the husband and the hebsut; it went without saying that the chamber was open also to pharaoh.

inji's labour was pierced with screaming which echoed in misery, and more than once did tavina glance up to see the mazoi taking himself from the room, shoulders stiff with horror. yet each time he returned in only a handful of moments, coming back to flank his wife and murmur some gruff encouraging word into her ear.

it seemed interminable, but the first child at last arrived, a girl, and tavina smiled in spite of her own exhaustion, standing aside as khusobek crept forward almost reverently to stare down into the face of his firstborn.

it was then that tavina became aware of pharaoh's nearness in the hallways outside, and she was swiftly reminded of how ramesses had paced in the corridors outside the birthing chambers of satsu and treva. pharaoh's voice was a sussuration.

four children in all, born to inji and khusobek, healthy sons and daughters. tavina, who had administered a strong dosage of willowbark tea in between these children, now wiped inji's brow again and pushed down on the abdomen now gently pouched, intending to help the afterbirth be expelled and wrapped, to bury far from the palace.

when toula entered, tavina bowed briefly, but did not speak as pharaoh shared her words with the glowing young wife, and wondered if there was any longing in the youthful ruler to be one day as inji was.

the sesh mixed now a concoction for both the production of milk and the relaxation of the young mother. "well done, inji. you have much help, all through each hour. i will stay with you the next three nights," already small movements as a sleeping pallet was laid near the doorway. holding the drink to inji's lips, tavina smiled at khusobek and departed, taking with her the wrapped bundle.

not until she had gone twenty paces from muat-riya did her own tears erupt, pained gemstones cured in happiness for inji and bittered by the slander of what she had lost in nala.